VivaTech 2026: India-EU free trade pact will expand ties, says PM

PM Modi, speaking at VivaTech 2026, highlighted India's massive use of technology for inclusion and its expanding capabilities. He noted the new India-EU FTA will expand trade, talent, and technology exchange between the two major economies.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday said that India is using technology at a massive scale for financial inclusion, education, telemedicine, agriculture and more and its startups are forging many new partnerships.

India-Europe Partnership at VivaTech

Speaking at the VivaTech 2026, PM Modi said India is expanding the frontiers of human capability from space technologies to nuclear energy. "I'm delighted to be in Paris for the 10th edition of VivaTech. This is Europe's biggest technology event. I congratulate President Macron and the organizers for the success of VivaTech. 2026 is a special year for India and Europe. At the beginning of the year, we concluded the historic India-EU free trade agreement. This agreement will expand our trade and investment. And it will open up many pathways for the exchange of talent, technology, and tourism," he said.

"With the launch of the India-France year of innovation, this year, France is serving as an important bridge that is bringing the tech ecosystem of India and Europe closer," he added.

India's Technology-Powered Transformation

PM Modi said India believes that in this era of disruption, technology must deliver for all. "We are using technology at a massive scale for financial inclusion, education, telemedicine, agriculture and more. From Bharat Innovates, held a few days ago in Nice, to Viva Tech in Paris today, our start-ups are forging many new partnerships. From space technologies to nuclear energy, we are expanding the frontiers of human capability," he said.

The Prime Minister said that in the last decade, India has been going through a rapid transformation that is powered by technology. He said UPI can be used in France too at the Eiffel Tower or the Paris airport.

"From creating the world's largest digital identity system to the world's largest digital payment platforms. at a massive scale for financial inclusion, education, telemedicine, agriculture and more. Because of our unified payments interface or UPI, half of the world's real-time digital transactions happen in India today," he said.

"You can now use UPI in France too at the Eiffel Tower or the Paris airport. We have several examples of such world-class digital public goods. Digilocker is one of the world's largest digital document wallet," he added.

VivaTech is Europe's foremost gathering of technology and innovation. (ANI)

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