French President Emmanuel Macron lauded India's digital transformation and its pioneering role in technology governance during his address at the India AI Impact Summit 2026 today, describing the nation's progress as a global benchmark. Speaking at the summit, President Macron began by expressing his gratitude for the warm reception in India. "Namaste. Thank you very much for welcoming us to this magnificent city, in this magnificent country. It's great to be back after my 2024 state visit for this Artificial Intelligence Impact Summit hosted by you, Prime Minister," he said. The French President highlighted the profound social impact of India's technological strides over the last decade. "10 years ago, a street vendor in Mumbai could not open a bank account. No address, no papers, no access and today the same vendor accepts payments on his phone," he remarked, illustrating the scale of financial inclusion achieved through digital means.
President Macron further emphasised that India has set a unique precedent that remains unmatched globally. "India built something that no other country in the world has built. A digital identity for 1.4 billion people. A payment system that now processes 20 billion transactions every month. A health infrastructure that has issued 500 million digital health IDs. Here are the results. They call it the India Stack Open Interoperable Sovereign," he noted. He also stated that the current era marks the beginning of a rapid technological shift. "That is what this summit is about. We are clearly at the beginning of a huge acceleration, and you perfectly described it during your interventions," Macron added, acknowledging the Prime Minister's vision for the future of AI.
The summit, held at Bharat Mandapam, continues to serve as a platform for global leaders to discuss the responsible and sovereign application of artificial intelligence, with President Macron's address reinforcing the strong bilateral and technological partnership between India and France. Reflecting India's focus on multilateral collaboration, the India AI Impact Summit 2026 brings together nations and international institutions to address global challenges and unlock new opportunities for shared growth. India is hosting the event from February 16 to 20, anchoring the deliberations in three foundational pillars, or 'Sutras': People, Planet, and Progress.