Technology can facilitate progress only when it is democratised, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said at France’s largest startup event on Thursday, urging European businesses to take advantage of India’s talent pool, targeted incentives and scale in developing frontier technologies.
Modi participated in the 10th edition of VivaTech in Paris along with French President Emmanuel Macron and addressed a gathering of tech entrepreneurs, investors and business leaders to highlight India’s vision for human-centric artificial intelligence and other cutting edge technologies.
“When it comes to technology, along with innovation, what matters is access. Technology can lead to progress only when it is democratised. India believes that in this era of disruption, technology must deliver for all,” he said.
AI, he said, must improve lives, widen access, drive growth and help sustain a healthy planet. “Our participation as the AI Country Partner at VivaTech 2026 reflects this very vision. For India, AI means ‘All Inclusive’,” he added.
Modi highlighted India’s credentials as an open society with the world’s largest talent pool and said: “We are simplifying regulations and ensuring ease of doing business. From innovation to commercialisation, we are supporting private enterprise through targeted incentives of over $50 billion. We are also providing one of the world’s most affordable data and low-cost green energy.”
He added, “Our approach is clear. Our government will enable and industry will innovate. Startups will disrupt and global partners will scale with us. Together, we will move faster than ever.”
Modi emphasised the role of technology in enabling transformative changes in India, ranging from the world’s highest volume of digital payments and the world’s largest digital identity system to AI-enabled agricultural progress and cutting-edge space applications.
“Indian women are being trained as drone pilots, for spraying fertiliser and crop monitoring. Satellite data is guiding hundreds of thousands of fishermen to the most promising fishing zones, helping them save fuel, reduce time and improve catch,” he said. “Our technology solutions are delivering prosperity at the grassroots level.”
Following his keynote address, Modi and Macron interacted with Indian startups and innovators displaying key technologies and practical solutions for industry, healthcare, sustainability and mobility.
VivaTech 2026 marks India’s largest presence at the event so far, with pavilions showcasing the country’s innovation ecosystem in AI, digital public infrastructure, health-tech, clean technologies, mobility and advanced computing. More than 80 Indian tech companies and startups are participating in the event.
India has had a growing engagement with VivaTech over the years. India was the first Country of the Year at VivaTech 2022, and VivaTech recently formalised collaboration with the Bengaluru Tech Summit.
