Prime Minister Narendra Modi is headed to Paris on Monday to co-chair the Artificial Intelligence Action Summit along with French President Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday. The summit is expected to announce a key outcome — a foundation that will look at AI in the public interest to cater to the needs of the Global South.

India and France will likely make announcements on small modular reactors, boosting civil nuclear cooperation. An India-France Triangular Development Cooperation initiative is also likely to be launched. The two countries will declare that 2026 will be celebrated as India-France Innovation year, and launch a logo.

On Wednesday, Macron and Modi will visit the city of Marseille and inaugurate an Indian consulate there.

Marseille is also a strategic telecommunications connection hub. Its location at the heart of the Mediterranean makes it the gateway for submarine cables linking Europe to Africa, West Asia and Asia. Submarine cables carry 99% of the world’s data traffic (internet and telephony).

Macron’s invitation to Modi to co-chair the AI Summit is a significant gesture — a recognition of India’s expanding role in the domain of new and emerging technologies.