PARIS – Prime Minister Narendra Modi showcased India as a technology powerhouse and a key innovation partner for Europe, highlighting the country’s digital infrastructure, startup ecosystem and ambitions in artificial intelligence.
Speaking at the VivaTech conference, where India is the official AI country partner, Modi said a recently concluded India–European Union free trade agreement and the launch of the India-France Year of Innovation would strengthen ties between the two regions through increased trade, investment, technology collaboration and talent exchange.
“This year France is serving as an important bridge that is bringing the tech ecosystem of India and Europe closer,” Modi said.
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The Indian leader framed technology as a tool for broad-based economic and social development, pointing to what he described as India’s rapid digital transformation over the past decade. He cited the country’s digital identity infrastructure, digital payments network and government technology platforms as examples of innovation deployed at massive scale.
According to Modi, India’s Unified Payments Interface, or UPI, now accounts for roughly half of the world’s real-time digital transactions. He noted that the payment system is also being introduced in France, including at landmarks such as the Eiffel Tower and Paris airports.
Modi also highlighted DigiLocker, India’s digital document platform, which he said serves more than 700 million users and hosts more than 2,000 standard documents. The platform allows citizens to access official records such as driver’s licenses and vehicle registrations electronically.
He pointed to other government-backed technology initiatives, including the Gati Shakti infrastructure planning platform and the SVAMITVA program, which uses drones and geospatial mapping to create property records for rural households. More than 31 million property cards have been issued across nearly 200,000 villages, he said.
Beyond government programs, Modi showcased India’s growing startup ecosystem, which he said now includes more than 200,000 startups. He highlighted applications using AI to provide agricultural advice to farmers, drone technologies that assist crop monitoring and satellite-based tools that help fishermen identify productive fishing zones.
Modi also emphasized India’s achievements in advanced technologies, citing the country’s successful lunar mission that became the first to land near the moon’s south pole. He also pointed to recent progress in nuclear energy, including advances toward utilizing India’s large thorium reserves.
Artificial intelligence featured prominently in the speech. Modi argued that AI should be deployed to improve lives, expand access to services, drive economic growth and support environmental sustainability.
“India AI means all-inclusive,” he said.
The prime minister positioned India as an attractive destination for global technology investment, citing regulatory reforms, a large talent pool, affordable data services and low-cost green energy. He said the government has introduced more than $50 billion in targeted incentives to support innovation and commercialization.
“Our approach is clear,” Modi said. “Our government will enable, industry will innovate, startups will disrupt and global partners will scale with us.”
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