By Shishir Prashant 
PrashantNews
India and France on Monday unveiled an ambitious roadmap to expand cooperation in artificial intelligence, trade, innovation, defence and space exploration following talks between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and French President Emmanuel Macron.
The two leaders adopted the India-France Innovation Roadmap 2030, aimed at boosting collaboration in technology, research and education. A Joint India-France AI Working Group will be set up to focus on AI governance, while a Centre of Digital Sciences will be established through cooperation between India’s Department of Science and Technology and France’s INRIA research institute.
The agreements also include the establishment of a National Centre of Excellence for Skilling in Aeronautics and Allied Sectors at NSTI Kanpur, expansion of India’s UPI payment system in France, and incubation support for 10 additional Indian startups at Paris-based startup hub Station F.
In the education and health sectors, the two countries agreed to create an ICCR India Chair on “AI, Innovation and Culture” at Université Paris-Saclay and signed a letter of intent between the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and France’s Health Data Hub.
Seeking to strengthen economic ties, New Delhi and Paris decided to create a high-level mechanism to achieve the goal of doubling bilateral trade within five years and launched a new Economic Security Dialogue.
The two sides also signed agreements on railway and high-speed rail development, exchange and protection of classified information, and cooperation in microgravity research and human space exploration between ISRO and the French space agency CNES.
The agreements underscore the growing strategic partnership between India and France as both countries seek closer collaboration in emerging technologies, economic resilience and advanced space missions.
“Today’s talks with my friend, President Macron were exceptionally productive. Considering the longstanding friendship between our nations, we have decided to elevate our ties to a Special Global Strategic Partnership,” Modi said on the social media.