PM’s Europe visit begins in Nice, with tech and bilateral ties in focus

Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Nice on Saturday evening, June 13, 2026, the first stop of his six-day tour of France and Slovakia. The Prime Minister’s visit to the French Riviera revolves around the technology summit called ‘Bharat Innovations 2026’, which he will inaugurate with French President Emmanuel Macron on Sunday, June 14, 2026.

According to the government, the tech event aims to bring together deep tech startups and higher education institutions in India to explore collaboration on research and co-development, investment and technology transfer. Following the event, Mr Modi and Mr Macron will lead bilateral talks between the two sides, which are expected to cover a wide range of issues, including defence, technology, regional and global issues. The US and Israel’s conflict with Iran is expected to be discussed between the parties, with US President Donald Trump saying an agreement will be signed on Sunday.

India and France officially upgraded their partnership to ‘Special Global Strategic Partnership’ in February this year and announced that 2026 is the India France Year of Innovation.

Mr Modi will travel to Slovakia on Sunday evening and return to France for the G7 Summit in the Alpine resort town of Évian-les-Bains. India has been invited as outreach partners along with other countries. There is the possibility of bilateral meetings with Mr. Trump in Évian. Following the G7 Summit, Mr Modi will arrive in Paris on June 18 for another technology-focused event, VivaTech. India is the AI ​​Country Partner of the annual event.

The Prime Minister’s arrival in France heralded rising tensions between India and the US following an attack in which US forces killed three Indian sailors off the coast of Oman. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio conveyed to Secretary of State S. Jaishankar that “there will be no tolerance” for violations of the US embargo on the Strait of Hormuz.

“In addition to Nice, this France visit also includes programs in Evian and Paris. There will be bilateral and multilateral meetings aimed at enhancing India’s friendship with key development partners,” Mr Modi wrote about X soon after landing in France.