New Delhi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will begin the France leg of his two-nation tour on June 13 with a visit to Nice, where he is scheduled to hold extensive discussions with French President Emmanuel Macron on bilateral cooperation and key regional and global developments.

Speaking at a special media briefing on Thursday, Ministry of External Affairs Additional Secretary (Europe West) Piyush Srivastava highlighted the close relationship between the two leaders, describing the India-France partnership as one marked by trust, regular engagement and strong personal rapport.

He noted that this will be Prime Minister Modi's seventh official visit to France. He also recalled President Macron's visit to India earlier this year for the AI Impact Summit held in Mumbai and New Delhi.

Srivastava said India and France elevated their ties to a Special Global Strategic Partnership in February 2026, a milestone that coincided with the launch of the India-France Year of Innovation. Prime Minister Modi had also co-chaired the AI Action Summit in Paris earlier this year.

During their meeting in Nice, Modi and Macron are expected to review the entire spectrum of bilateral relations, including strategic cooperation, technology, innovation, defence, trade and other areas of mutual interest. The leaders will also exchange views on major international and regional issues.

A key highlight of the visit will be the joint inauguration of Bharat Innovates, a platform designed to showcase India's innovation ecosystem to the world. The initiative will feature India's achievements in startups, deep technology, digital public infrastructure, defence innovation, space technology, clean energy and the contributions of Indian talent to global technological advancement.

According to the MEA, the participation of both leaders in the event underscores the growing depth of cooperation between India and France in technology and innovation.

Following his engagements in Nice, Prime Minister Modi will travel to Paris, where he will continue bilateral discussions and address the VivaTech Summit, one of Europe's largest technology and startup events.

India has maintained a strong association with the summit over the years, with Modi having delivered a keynote address at its fifth edition in 2021. His participation this year is expected to reinforce India's position as a major global technology hub and highlight the expanding innovation partnership between the two countries.

Modi and Macron are also scheduled to jointly visit the Indian pavilion at VivaTech, which is expected to be the largest national pavilion at the event this year.

The Prime Minister will additionally interact with members of the Indian diaspora in Paris during his stay.

READ MORE: Lal Mohammad Badshah's unwavering devotion towards the clean Ganga

According to the Ministry of External Affairs, Modi's official visit to France will take place in phases from June 13-14 in Nice and June 16-18 in Evian and Paris. Between the two segments of the France visit, he will travel to Slovakia from June 14 to 16 at the invitation of Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico.