Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in France on Saturday for a visit that will see him hold talks with French President Emmanuel Macron, attend the G7 Summit and take part in a series of bilateral and multilateral engagements.
PM Modi was received at the airport by France’s Education Minister Edouard Geffray, Minister of Higher Education, Research and Space Philippe Baptiste, French Ambassador to India Thierry Mathou and Nice Mayor Eric Ciotti, among other dignitaries.
PM Modi lands in France
“Landed in Nice. In addition to Nice, this France visit includes programmes in Evian and Paris. There will be bilateral and multilateral engagements, which will be aimed at improving India’s friendships with key developmental partners,” Modi said in a social media post after his arrival.
“I look forward to meeting President Macron tomorrow and to being at ‘Bharat Innovates’,” he added.
During the first leg of the trip, Modi will hold bilateral talks with Macron on Sunday and jointly inaugurate ‘Bharat Innovates’, an event bringing together leading startups and venture capital funds from India, France and other countries.
The two leaders are expected to review the full spectrum of the India-France relationship, which was elevated to a Special Global Strategic Partnership earlier this year.
Ahead of the G7 Summit, Modi said India would not only speak for itself but also voice the aspirations of the Global South. In his departure statement before the week-long visit to France and Slovakia, the prime minister said India’s participation in the grouping reflected the trust placed in the country by its partners and its growing global stature.
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Modi’s France visit
In a rare gesture for a visiting foreign dignitary, the Indian Tricolour was hoisted at the City Hall, the office of the Mayor of Nice, to mark Modi’s arrival.
The G7 Summit will be held in Evian on June 16 and 17.
Modi will conclude his France visit in Paris on June 18, where he will attend VivaTech 2026 alongside President Macron.
VivaTech is Europe’s foremost technology and innovation event, and India will have the largest national pavilion at this edition, underscoring the growing potential for cooperation between Indian and European innovation ecosystems.
From France, Modi will travel to Slovakia for a state visit on June 14-15. In Bratislava, he is scheduled to hold talks with President Peter Pellegrini and Prime Minister Robert Fico and interact with business leaders.
