Prime Minister Narendra Modi heads to France for the G7 Summit and 'Bharat Innovates' launch, with a subsequent stop in Slovakia.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has embarked on a high-profile multi-nation tour to Europe, with the White House confirming a highly anticipated bilateral meeting between him and US President Donald Trump in France on June 17. The meeting, scheduled on the sidelines of the annual G7 Summit, marks the first face-to-face interaction between the two leaders in 16 months.

Diplomatic sources indicate that the dialogue will cover a vast spectrum of strategic interests, including defense procurement, bilateral trade bottlenecks, global security, and artificial intelligence cooperation. The two leaders last met in Washington in February 2025 during Modi’s state visit, shortly after Trump assumed his second presidential term. While they have maintained regular contact through at least three telephone conversations this year, the upcoming Paris dialogue is expected to set the tone for Indo-US ties amid shifting geopolitical dynamics.

Packed diplomatic schedule in France

According to details released by official channels, Trump will arrive in France on June 15, initiating a packed schedule of bilateral engagements starting with French President Emmanuel Macron. While the US President holds talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and West Asian leaders over the weekend, PM Modi’s arrival will coincide with both the G7 deliberations and distinct bilateral engagements designed to project India's rising economic footprint.

Focus on regional conflicts

The meeting comes at a time when the international community is navigating multiple overlapping security crises. Officials familiar with the matter noted that the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war and deteriorating security conditions in West Asia—specifically the Iran-Israel friction and instability along key maritime trade routes like the Strait of Hormuz—will feature heavily during the Modi-Trump discussions. India’s balanced diplomatic tightrope on the Eastern Europe conflict remains a point of intense interest for Washington.

Spotlighting 'Bharat Innovates' initiative

Apart from the G7 summit meetings in Evian, PM Modi, alongside President Macron, will inaugurate the 'Bharat Innovates' mega summit at the Palais des Expositions in Nice, running from June 14 to 16. The global initiative, conceptualized by India’s Ministry of Education, seeks to bridge Indian premier institutions like the IITs and IISc with global venture capitalists. The event underscores India's push to position its startup ecosystem as a prime destination for Western tech investments.

France's enduring strategic partnership

The choice of France as the host nation carries distinct bilateral weight for New Delhi. Over the last few decades, Paris has emerged as India’s second-largest defense supplier, trailing only Russia. Local diplomatic analysts point out that France’s defense relationship with India has historically remained resilient, even during periods of Western sanctions post the 1998 nuclear tests. The supply of Rafale fighters and Scorpene-class conventional submarines highlights the deep institutional trust between the two capitals.

Shifting dynamics of global forums

While India attends the G7 summit as an invitee nation, the event itself brings focus to the evolving relevance of the G7 versus the broader G20 platform. The G7, consisting of the US, France, UK, Germany, Japan, Italy, and Canada, focuses significantly on Western political-security alignments. However, experts point out that the G20, which includes emerging giants like India, Brazil, and China, has increasingly become the more effective vehicle for global economic governance, a sentiment previously echoed by Trump himself.

Next stop Bratislava

Following the conclusion of his engagements in France and the high-level meeting with Trump on Monday, Prime Minister Modi is scheduled to fly to Bratislava, Slovakia. The central European visit is aimed at expanding India’s diplomatic and economic outreach in the region, with focus on engineering exports and manufacturing collaboration.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi attended the Bharat Innovates programme in Nice alongside French President Emmanuel Macron, highlighting innovation, investment, and India-France cooperation.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday attended the Bharat Innovates programme in Nice, France, marking a key engagement during his ongoing visit to the European nation. The event, inaugurated alongside French President Emmanuel Macron, brought together startups, investors, venture capital firms, research institutions and technology leaders from India, France and several other countries.

The Bharat Innovates programme is aimed at strengthening collaboration in innovation, emerging technologies and investment while creating new opportunities for startups and research-driven enterprises. The initiative is also being seen as an important step in deepening economic and technological ties between India and France.

Focus on Innovation

Held at the Palais des Expositions in Nice, the programme serves as a platform for connecting Indian startups, educational institutions and research organisations with global investors and industry leaders. Officials associated with the event said the initiative seeks to accelerate innovation-led partnerships and encourage cross-border investment in high-growth sectors.

Before the formal launch, Prime Minister Modi interacted with investors and representatives of venture capital funds participating in the summit. Discussions reportedly focused on technology-driven growth, entrepreneurship and expanding collaboration between innovation ecosystems in the two countries.

Warm Welcome in Nice

Modi arrived in France late on Saturday night (IST) and received a warm reception from members of the Indian diaspora gathered outside his hotel. Cultural performances were organised as part of the welcome ceremony, reflecting India's diverse traditions.

During the interaction, the Prime Minister spent time greeting community members and was seen affectionately interacting with a young child. Many members of the diaspora also expressed their enthusiasm about his visit, with several families attending the event despite the late hour.

The visit marks Modi's seventh trip to France since assuming office in 2014, underlining the growing strategic significance of the bilateral relationship.

Key Engagements Ahead

The Prime Minister's France visit is part of a broader six-day tour covering France and Slovakia from June 13 to June 18. During the French leg, he is scheduled to visit Nice, Evian and Paris.

A major engagement on the itinerary is the G7 Summit in Evian, where Modi has been invited as a guest leader. The summit agenda is expected to include discussions on geopolitical tensions, global economic cooperation, artificial intelligence, maritime security and developments in the Middle East.

Officials have indicated that the Prime Minister will hold a series of bilateral meetings on the sidelines of the summit. Among the closely watched interactions is an expected meeting with US President Donald Trump, which would be their first in-person engagement in over a year.

Slovakia Visit

Following engagements in France, Modi will travel to Slovakia, where he is scheduled to meet Prime Minister Robert Fico and President Peter Pellegrini. The visit is significant as it marks the first trip by an Indian Prime Minister to Slovakia since the country became independent in 1993.

Diplomatic observers view the visit as part of India's broader effort to strengthen engagement with European partners beyond the continent's major powers.

Strategic Partnership Expands

India and France have steadily expanded cooperation across defence, space, energy, technology and education. France remains one of India's key strategic partners and a major defence supplier.

The two countries have also worked closely on global issues, including climate action, maritime security and reform of international institutions. France has repeatedly expressed support for India's aspirations for a greater role in global governance forums.

With Bharat Innovates bringing together innovators, investors and policymakers, officials hope the initiative will add a new dimension to the partnership by fostering deeper collaboration in entrepreneurship and advanced technologies.

As discussions continue in Nice and the G7 Summit approaches, the Bharat Innovates programme is expected to remain a focal point of India's innovation diplomacy and its growing engagement with global technology ecosystems.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Nice on Saturday night, where members of the Indian community gave him a warm reception. He is set to hold bilateral talks with French President Emmanuel Macron later today.

Warm welcome in Nice

PM Modi landed in the southern French city late evening, and was received at his hotel by a large gathering of Indian-origin residents. Women touched his hands to their foreheads in a traditional gesture of respect, while the Prime Minister picked up a young child affectionately. A cultural programme was also organised at the hotel.

According to local authorities, around 1,500 community members had gathered outside the venue. Many had travelled from other parts of France to attend the reception.

Bilateral talks today

The Prime Minister will meet President Macron on the afternoon of June 14. The two leaders are expected to inaugurate the ‘India Innovates’ programme together. Official sources said the discussions will cover defence, technology, and strategic partnerships.

Sources familiar with the matter indicated that India and France are likely to sign around 12 agreements. These span high-tech sectors including artificial intelligence, semiconductors, health technology, space technology, and innovation.

Rafale deal in focus

A significant part of the conversation will revolve around the proposed deal for 114 Rafale fighter jets. India has sought flexibility to integrate its own indigenous weapons into the aircraft. To enable this, New Delhi intends to raise the issue of source code sharing during the talks.

The deal has not yet received clearance from the Cabinet Committee on Security. Officials clarified that a final decision will only be taken after the Prime Minister’s visit concludes.

G7 summit and Trump meeting

PM Modi is on a six-day tour of France and Slovakia from June 13 to 18. This is his seventh visit to France as Prime Minister. From June 16 to 17, he will attend the G7 Summit in Evian. On June 18, he will join President Macron at the VivaTech conference in Paris.

During the G7 Summit, Modi is scheduled to meet US President Donald Trump. The two leaders will meet after 16 months – they last held talks in Washington in February 2025. Modi had participated in the G7 Summit in Canada last year, but Trump left midway, preventing a meeting at that time.

First PM visit to Slovakia

On the evening of June 14, the Prime Minister will travel from France to Slovakia. He will remain there until June 15. During this period, he will meet Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico and President Peter Pellegrini. This is the first visit by an Indian Prime Minister since Slovakia became an independent nation in 1993.

France, India strategic ties

According to a 2025 report by French newspaper Le Monde, France stood by India after the Pokhran nuclear tests when major world powers imposed sanctions. Ignoring American restrictions, Paris continued weapons sales, making France India’s second-largest defence supplier after Russia. India has received Mirage 2000 jets, Rafale fighters, and Scorpene submarines from France.

On international platforms, France has consistently supported India’s bid for a permanent UN Security Council seat and membership in the Nuclear Suppliers Group. President Macron had accepted India’s invitation as Republic Day chief guest in 2024 after US President Joe Biden declined.

Hormuz alliance possibility

During this visit, a decision may also be taken on India joining the Hormuz defence alliance. India had participated in Paris talks led by Britain in April. Officials said New Delhi favours a multilateral security arrangement under UN rules rather than any single-country initiative.