Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Mumbai on 17 February 2026, where he will hold formal talks with French President Emmanuel Macron. President Macron will be on an official visit to India from 17 to 19 February, which will be his fourth visit to India and first visit to Mumbai.
According to the PIB report, on February 17 at around 3:15 pm, both the leaders will hold a bilateral meeting at Lok Bhawan in Mumbai. In the meeting, the progress of the strategic partnership between the two countries will be evaluated and areas of new partnership will be discussed. The aim of the talks is to further strengthen cooperation in emerging areas like economic, defence, technology and innovation. Prime Minister Modi and President Macron will also exchange views on regional and global issues such as security, energy, trade and technical cooperation.
AI Impact Summit and Innovation Year 2026
At around 5:15 pm, both the leaders will formally inaugurate the India-France Innovation Year 2026. The event will be attended by industry leaders, researchers, start-up founders and technology innovators. Both the countries will give the message of taking their partnership to new heights through Artificial Intelligence (AI) and high technologies.
importance of travel
This visit of President Macron is being considered a symbol of strong friendship and strategic partnership between the two countries. This visit can play an important role in reaffirming bilateral cooperation at the global level and giving a new direction to the long-term partnership. In this way, the day of February 17 is being considered important in terms of the direction of India-France relations, where the leaders of both the countries will hold in-depth talks on the topics of strategic partnership, technical cooperation and innovation.
Defense cooperation between India and France
Defense cooperation between India and France has strengthened considerably in the last few years. Especially because of Rafale fighter planes, relations between the two countries have reached new heights. India had signed an agreement to buy 36 Rafale fighter aircraft from France in 2016. These aircraft proved important in increasing the strength of the Indian Air Force. Rafale is equipped with modern technology and is capable of accurate air-to-air and air-to-ground attacks.
