Paris [France], February 12 (ANI): External Affairs Minister, S Jaishankar while delivering opening remarks at the 14th India France CEO Forum on Tuesday (local time) emphasised the importance of trust, transparency, and collaboration in the digital era, particularly in the realms of AI, software development, and cybersecurity.
Jaishankar highlighted the significance of the 2026 India-France Year of Innovation, urging both nations to leverage this opportunity to drive progress.
Jaishankar stressed the need for a multipolar world to ensure that AI is developed with minimal bias. This sentiment echoes his previous statements on the importance of a balanced global landscape, where nations can work together to address common challenges.
“We are meeting on the sidelines of the AI Action Summit. The Digital era calls for trust and transparency. These are indeed shared attributes between us. The summit is a reminder in itself of how much we could be doing in AI, Software development and Cyber security. 2026 has been designated the India – France Year of Innovation. Let us use that as a driver. Equally, we need to shape the global discourse in this key domain. Only a multipolar world can ensure that AI is developed with the least bias,” said Jaishankar.
Jaishankar highlighted the unique bond between India and France, two nations with a long history of independent thinking. This shared mindset has enabled them to forge a strategic partnership that strengthens each other’s positions and contributes to global stability.
“We are two nations with a tradition of independent mindsets. This has been expressed, at different times, as the third way, as strategic autonomy or as a multi-polar world. But, it is not just that we think similarly. We also actively strive to strengthen each other’s position and make our collaboration an important element of contemporary world affairs,” he said.
The EAM emphasiSed that the partnership is built on trust, values, and a deep level of comfort, allowing for collaboration in sensitive domains. This relationship has evolved over time, and its ambitious agenda is driven by the understanding that cooperation strengthens both nations and helps stabilize the global economy.
“Because our ties are trust – driven and value – based, they have developed a very high level of comfort. That, in turn, allows us to contemplate a broad set of domains for cooperation, including some sensitive ones. In essence, the very quality of our strategic partnership, and the term strategic itself today means more than it did before, the very quality of our partnership, encourages the ambitious nature of our agenda. The more we do with each other, the more we strengthen our own positions. And equally important, help stabilise the global economy in volatile and uncertain times,” he said.
Jaishankar stressed that the success of this partnership depends on its translation into tangible business outcomes.
“Partnerships have a real meaning only when they get translated on the ground. And that responsibility rests largely with business. Indeed, as our relationship matures, the role for business is only expanding. We are moving from a buyer-seller phase to greater and deeper collaboration. Even co-designing and co-production. The “Make In India” initiative has opened many new possibilities in that regard. The fact that there is so much strategic comfort should only encourage business to think much bigger and more ambitiously. Given these prospects, the current level of trade, investment and cooperation is way below what it can, and should be. Your job as business is to accelerate this trajectory. Ours as government is to provide the enabling environment to do so,” said Jaishankar.
Jaishankar also said that de-risking the global economy is more urgent than ever, and India and France are poised to make a significant impact.
“We need more diversified production, resilient and reliable supply chains, and deeper business collaborations. India and France can make a difference, including by motivating the rest of the EU. So to business, I would say, please do weigh in on our FTA negotiations,” he said.
The EAM said that one area where India and France already excel is defense manufacturing and aerospace.
“Defence manufacturing and aerospace is a well established area of our cooperation. Both the nature and scale of this collaboration are today poised for a jump. Challenge before us is that can we make the most of it?” he said.
Another key area for collaboration is the clean energy transition. As India and other countries shift towards nuclear and renewable energy, there’s immense potential for cooperation in green hydrogen, green ammonia, and other emerging technologies.
“A clean energy transition is underway in India and other parts of the world. Nuclear and renewable energy, references were made to green hydrogen and green ammonia, which are important components. These are certainly subjects for our collaboration,” added Jaishankar.
Infrastructure development is also a significant focus area, with India undergoing rapid transformations in railways, airports, highways, and ports. This presents opportunities for technology transfer, knowledge sharing, and resource mobilization. The IMEC (India, Middle East, Europe Economic corridor) project, for instance, has the potential to be a game-changer.
“There are very few places in the world where the infrastructure is changing as rapidly as it is in India today. You see that in railways, airports, highways and ports. We are in the game for technology, best practices and resources. And that extends to connectivity as well. IMEC can be a game changer between us and it is no accident that later this evening PM and President will be traveling to Marseille. There have been complications in IMEC, but I do want to tell our friends in France and Europe, that there has also been some progress on its eastern end,” he added.
Jaishankar said that as India’s economy grows, lifestyles and demands are evolving. This creates new opportunities for businesses to cater to emerging needs.
“As incomes rise in India, lifestyles change accordingly. And we all know that this can be a driver of new demands in a vast range of domains. If I were to describe the landscape today in India, I would say we have seen that it is much easier to do business, we have seen an improvement in ease of living, in de bureaucratizing society, we have seen a big change in infrastructure lead by the Gatishakti initiative, you can see the results of DPI in terms of delivery of services and quality of governance and there is a skills mission that is unfolding,” said Jaishankar.
He said that stage is set for India and France to forge a stronger partnership, driving growth, innovation, and de-risking of the global economy.
The AI Action Summit serves as a timely reminder of the vast potential for cooperation in AI, software development, and cybersecurity. As India and France prepare to embark on the 2026 Year of Innovation, Jaishankar’s call to action underscores the importance of shaping the global discourse on these critical issues. (ANI)
