New Delhi: French President Emmanuel Macron on Friday concluded his visit to India with words of heartfelt gratitude, sharing highlights of the visit and highlighting the growing strategic partnership between India and France, especially in the rapidly evolving field of artificial intelligence.
Macron posted a video montage of moments from his visit to X with a simple message: “Thank you, India!” The post quickly gained traction online, with users reacting to the warmth of the welcome and symbolizing the strengthening of ties between India and France.
See the French President’s post here.
The main focus of Macron’s visit was the India AI Impact Summit 2026, which brings together world leaders, policy makers and technology executives to discuss the future of artificial intelligence and digital governance.
On the final day of his visit, Macron had a high-profile interaction with Google CEO Sundar Pichai on the sidelines of the summit. Reflecting on the discussion, the French president wrote of X:
“Solutions to our digital challenges will not be found at Google, but will be built with Google and all our stakeholders. At the Delhi AI Summit, along with Sundar Pichai, we discussed France’s priorities for the G7 Presidency, and I shared one message: Choose France.”
In his post, Sundar Pichai said he welcomed the exchange and highlighted France’s growing influence in the global technology landscape.
“France, with its G7 leadership, has a vital role to play in developing AI opportunities, and we are proud to be a partner.”
Macron also spoke with Meta’s chief AI officer, Alexandre Wang, and said their interactions were productive and positive.
“I had a constructive discussion with Meta’s Alexandr Wang at the Delhi AI Summit. We talked about what France can offer, including talent, research and data centres. In short, choose France!” he said.
The French president added that the meeting also addressed online safety for young people, including stricter age-based access standards on social media platforms.
“We have also considered measures to protect young people on social media. In particular, we support the proposal to ban access for under-15s. Good news. Meta is committed to moving forward with us,” he added.
Earlier, President Macron said about India-France relations that they are at an all-time high and both countries are keen to expand cooperation across technology, innovation and strategic areas.
“And in terms of bilateral relations, I truly believe that we are at a high point now. It is based on our relations, so we want to do a lot again,” he said.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi also held bilateral talks with President Macron in New Delhi on Thursday on the sidelines of the summit.
In his speech at the event, Macron praised India’s digital transformation, described the country’s approach to technology governance as a global benchmark, and suggested deepening cooperation in AI and emerging technologies.
The visit highlights the continued momentum of the India-France strategic partnership, with artificial intelligence emerging as a central pillar of cooperation.
