Macron lauds India’s innovation strength at India-France forum

French President Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday praised India’s growing global influence in innovation, highlighting the rise of Indian-origin chief executives leading major multinational corporations from IBM to Microsoft, as per reports.

Addressing the India–France Innovation Forum in Mumbai, Macron reportedly underlined India’s expanding role in shaping global industries, citing the presence of Indian talent at the helm of global companies.

The French president noted that the chief executive of French luxury brand Chanel hails from Kolhapur in Maharashtra — the state where he was delivering his address — and commended the region’s contribution to global leadership.

His remarks drew smiles from Prime Minister Narendra Modi and External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, who were present at the event.

Macron said India has a key role in shaping the industries of the future, pointing to its vast talent pool and its ability to scale innovation to serve a large population.

Earlier in the day, India and France upgraded their ties to a “special global strategic partnership” and pledged to expand cooperation in areas including defence, trade and critical minerals.

Following bilateral talks held hours after Macron arrived in Mumbai for a three-day visit, Modi described the partnership as a “force for global stability” at a time of global uncertainty.

“The world is going through a period of uncertainty. In such an environment, the India-France partnership is a force for global stability. We are combining France’s expertise and India’s scale,” Modi said in his media statement.

He said France is one of India’s oldest strategic partners and that the relationship has been given “unprecedented depth and energy”.

“Based on this trust and shared vision, today we are establishing our relationship as a ‘special global strategic partnership’. This partnership is not just strategic. In today’s turbulent era, it is a partnership of global stability and global progress,” Modi said.