There are times when a trade fair transcends its commercial purpose to become a revealing snapshot of the geopolitical balance of the twenty-first century. VivaTech 2026, held in Paris, was one such moment.
Over four days, more than 180,000 visitors, 14,000 startups, 4,000 partners, 3,600 investors, and representatives from over 170 nationalities gathered at Paris Expo Porte de Versailles to take the pulse of global innovation.
Amid American technology giants, European champions and Asia’s rising ambitions, one country stood out in particular: India.
Not only because it was named Official AI Country Partner—a first in VivaTech’s history—but, more importantly, because it came to champion an ambition that extends far beyond the digital economy alone.
India’s pavilion was the largest the country has ever showcased at VivaTech.
Spanning nearly 1,000 square metres, it brought together more than 80 companies and deep-tech startups, presenting innovations ranging from artificial intelligence, digital public infrastructure and cybersecurity to healthcare, robotics, space technologies, defence, smart mobility and green technologies.
Far removed from the outdated stereotype that still portrays India primarily as the world’s IT services hub, New Delhi demonstrated that it now intends to compete among the world’s leading technological powers.
This transformation has not happened by chance.
In little more than a decade, India has become the world’s third-largest startup ecosystem, home to more than 100 unicorns and thousands of innovative young companies. Its digital public infrastructure—from Aadhaar to UPI—is now studied by governments around the world as a benchmark for large-scale digital transformation.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s participation in VivaTech gave this technological presence an unmistakable political dimension.
Having already addressed VivaTech in 2021, when India became the event’s first Country of the Year, Modi returned this year to promote a vision of artificial intelligence encapsulated in a simple yet powerful phrase:
« AI also stands for All Inclusive. »
In other words, artificial intelligence should serve everyone—guided by democratic values, inclusion and the public interest.
This vision stands in sharp contrast to a global race increasingly driven by economic and military competition alone. India is pursuing a different course: making AI a catalyst for development, healthcare, education and social inclusion, while at the same time preserving its technological sovereignty.
It is a message that resonates strongly in Europe—and particularly in France.
Over recent years, Paris and New Delhi have steadily broadened their strategic partnership into new areas, including artificial intelligence, high-performance computing, semiconductors, cybersecurity, scientific research, quantum technologies and industrial innovation.
VivaTech 2026 formed part of the Franco-Indian Year of Innovation, an initiative launched jointly by Emmanuel Macron and Narendra Modi.
More broadly, the event reflected a deeper strategic convergence.
For France, strengthening ties with India is no longer simply a matter of economic cooperation. It is part of a broader effort to diversify technological partnerships at a time when Europe seeks greater strategic autonomy in an increasingly fragmented world.
For India, France represents one of its closest and most trusted partners in Europe—sharing a commitment to democratic governance, technological excellence and an open international order.
Beyond the announcements, the demonstrations and the impressive attendance figures, VivaTech 2026 delivered a broader lesson.
Innovation has become an instrument of power.
And among the nations shaping that new landscape, India has made it unmistakably clear that it intends not merely to participate in the future—but to help define it.
Michel Taube
