Paris, June 18 (HS): Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Paris on Wednesday after concluding his engagements at the G7 Summit in Evian, and said the India-France partnership is vital for global progress and innovation.

Modi was warmly welcomed by members of the Indian diaspora upon his arrival in the French capital, which marks the final leg of his two-nation visit to France and Slovakia.

In a post on X, the Prime Minister said he was proud of the Indian community's efforts in strengthening ties between the two countries. The India-France partnership is essential to the progress of our planet, he said.

During his visit to Paris, Modi is scheduled to attend VivaTech 2026 along with French President Emmanuel Macron. The event is regarded as one of Europe's leading technology and innovation platforms and is expected to showcase emerging opportunities in innovation, startups and technology cooperation.

According to the Ministry of External Affairs, India will have the largest national pavilion at VivaTech 2026, reflecting growing collaboration between Indian and European innovation ecosystems.

The Prime Minister's Paris visit follows his participation in the G7 Summit in Evian, where he addressed outreach sessions and held bilateral meetings with several world leaders, including US President Donald Trump, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.

India and France share a long-standing strategic partnership covering defence, security, space, civil nuclear energy, climate action, innovation and emerging technologies.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar