PM Modi Arrives In Paris, Meets Leading CEOs In France; Discusses Investment And India Expansion Plans

 

 

New Delhi : Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Paris and received a warm welcome from members of the Indian diaspora, as he underscored the importance of the India-France partnership for global progress. The prime minister arrived in Paris on Wednesday local time from the French commune of Evian-Les-Bains, where he attended the G7 Summit, to which India was invited as a guest country. Paris marks the final leg of Modi's two-nation tour to France and Slovakia.

He met leading business executives here and held discussions focusing on investment opportunities and expansion plans in India. The CEOs who met the prime minister represented a wide range of sectors, including sustainable construction, mobility and AI.

Modi met Benoit Bazin, Chairman and CEO of Saint-Gobain, and discussed opportunities in the materials and construction sector, with a particular emphasis on sustainability, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said in a social media post.

 

It further said the prime minister noted Saint-Gobain's "strong presence and investments in India, which are creating opportunities for Indian youth”. Bazin shared the company's plans for "further investments and expansion in India", the MEA said.

Modi also met Martin Sion, CEO of Alstom, and discussed opportunities in mobility and railway modernisation. The prime minister noted Alstom's "significant investments and manufacturing presence in India, which are contributing to job creation and the growth of India's rail sector,” the MEA said.

Sion shared Alstom's plans for "further expansion and investments in India". Modi also met Arthur Mensch, co-founder and CEO of Mistral AI, and highlighted the opportunities in India's "growing AI ecosystem".

Mensch expressed Mistral AI's "strong interest in collaborating with India" and partnering with Indian companies "to drive innovation and expand AI capabilities", according to the MEA.

 

"I arrived in Paris just a short while ago, where I was warmly welcomed by the Indian diaspora. I am proud of their efforts to bring India and France closer together," Modi said in a social media post. "The India-France partnership is essential to the progress of our planet," he said.

In Paris, Modi is scheduled to attend VivaTech 2026 alongside French President Emmanuel Macron and interact with the Indian community. According to the Ministry of External Affairs, VivaTech is Europe's premier technology and innovation event, and India will have the largest national pavilion at this year's edition, reflecting the growing potential for collaboration between the Indian and European innovation ecosystems.

The Indian diaspora in mainland France is estimated at around 119,000, while more than 350,000 people of Indian origin live in French overseas territories. Before leaving for Paris, Modi had described his engagements at the G7 Summit as "productive", saying he had the opportunity to present India's views and efforts on key areas of governance and policy-making.

 

He had also underlined the need for closer engagement with the Global South to ensure global prosperity. At an outreach session of the G7 on Wednesday, Modi proposed a framework to boost connectivity and trade by combining the strengths of the G7 nations, India and the Global South. He also flagged concerns over the long-term impact of the West Asia crisis on developing countries.

 

On Tuesday, the prime minister urged world leaders to move from a donor-recipient approach to partnerships based on solidarity and equality, while emphasising the importance of trust in international cooperation.

On the sidelines of the summit, Modi held bilateral meetings with several world leaders, including US President Donald Trump, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney.

India and France share a strategic partnership spanning defence, security, space, civil nuclear energy, climate action and emerging technologies, with both countries increasingly working together on issues relating to the Indo-Pacific, innovation and global governance.