President Emmanuel Macron of France turned heads at New Delhi’s India AI Impact Summit with a direct expression of love for the host nation. During his visit, he inaugurated the proceedings at Bharat Mandapam and inspected the expo. Spotting media, he strode over and proclaimed to IANS, ‘I love your country,’ delighting onlookers.
This warmth has marked his itinerary. From Mumbai to Delhi amid rains, he honored folk artists at the airport with joined palms. Previously, jogging in Mumbai, he connected effortlessly with the public.
His address began with ‘Namaste’ and concluded ‘Jai Ho.’ Macron acclaimed India’s digital achievements as unique. Illustrating with a street vendor’s journey—from undocumented exclusion to mobile payment mastery—he called it ‘a tale of cultural and technological synergy.’
In AI’s strategic arena, India’s innovations shine: targeted language models and 38,000 subsidized GPUs fueling startups, ensuring autonomy.
Echoing the vendor story, Macron lauded India’s proof against skeptics on scaling digital inclusion for 1.4 billion. With 2026 earmarked as India-France Innovation Year, focused on AI ethics and research, ties are set to strengthen profoundly.