New Delhi, June 15 (IANS) Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal on Monday said that as India advances towards becoming a Viksit Bharat, the partnership with France continues to unlock new opportunities for co-innovation and technological advancement, while fostering solutions that serve not only our two nations but the wider world.

He wrapped up a “productive day in Nice” by hosting a dinner in the presence of the Mayor of Nice, Eric Ciotti, alongside distinguished leaders from government, business, innovation and investment ecosystems.

“Against the backdrop of the India-France Year of Innovation, the evening provided an excellent opportunity to exchange ideas and explore new avenues for collaboration across trade, technology, and emerging sectors,” Goyal posted on X.

Meanwhile, India’s vision of ‘Viksit Bharat 2047’ and France’s ambition under ‘France 2030’ provide strong convergences for building a future-oriented innovation partnership, paving the way for new investment opportunities in disruptive innovations, the government said.

India and France are, therefore, adopting the India-France Innovation Roadmap 2030 as a framework to guide their collaborative efforts towards advancing co-development in critical and emerging technologies, strengthening trusted technology ecosystems, deepening academic and research mobility, and delivering concrete outcomes for people, the planet and shared prosperity.

India and France recognise innovation as a central driver of economic resilience, sustainable development, strategic autonomy, and technological and industrial sovereignty.

Both sides agree that a strengthened innovation partnership will help unlock the full innovation potential of the two countries and contribute to solutions for global challenges, according to an official statement.

Earlier, Prime Minister Narendra Modi departed for Slovakia from Nice, concluding the first leg of the visit.

“After a fruitful visit to Nice, France, which resulted in several bilateral outcomes with strong focus on innovation and future tech, PM Narendra Modi has departed for Bratislava,” the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said on social media platform X.

On Sunday, PM Modi held talks with French President Emmanuel Macron, deepening cooperation in several key sectors. “Today’s talks with my friend, President Macron, were exceptionally productive. Considering the longstanding friendship between our nations, we have decided to elevate our ties to a Special Global Strategic Partnership,” PM Modi wrote on X.

“Our talks covered ways to deepen cooperation in key sectors like defence, technology, space, security, counter terrorism, innovation and more,” PM Modi added.

—IANS

na/