India and France can make a difference amid fast-changing global economy: EAM Jaishankar

Paris (The Uttam Hindu): External Affairs Minister (EAM) S. Jaishankar on Tuesday said that amid the fast-changing global economy, India and France can make a difference, including by motivating the rest of the European Union (EU). Speaking at the India-France CEO Forum here, EAM Jaishankar said that in the ever-changing world, we need diversified production, reliable and resilient supply chains and deeper business collaborations. “This applies as much to manufacturing as it applies to health,” he told the gathering.

Stressing that India and France are two nations with a tradition of independent mindsets, he said, “We are also actively working to strengthen each other's position and make our collaboration an important element of contemporary world affairs.” “The more we strengthen our positions, we help stabilise the global economy in volatile and uncertain times. The ‘Make in India’ initiative has opened up many new possibilities in that regard,” said EAM Jaishankar on the sidelines of the AI Action Summit. “The Summit is a reminder, in itself, of how much we could be doing in AI, in software development and in cyber security. The year 2026 will be celebrated as the 'India-France Year of Innovation'. So let us use that as a driver,” he told the forum. “I would say, please do weigh in on our FTA negotiations. Defence, manufacturing and aerospace are well-established areas of our cooperation. Both the nature and the scale of this collaboration are today poised for a big jump, and the challenge before us is, can we make the most of it,” the External Affairs Minister stated.

He also touched upon the clean energy transition that is underway in India, infrastructure that is changing rapidly, digital public infrastructure (DPI) and more. Earlier in the day, EAM Jaishankar met with his French counterpart Jean-Noel Barrot in Paris, where the two leaders discussed strengthening India-France bilateral ties with a focus on AI, innovation, connectivity, and clean energy. The AI Action Summit convened global leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi who delivered a motivating speech on AI, and top tech CEOs to deliberate on AI's future, emphasising innovation and ethical development.