Modi: India Close to Thorium-led Power

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday made a strong pitch for democratisation of technology in Paris, asserting that AI means "All Inclusive" for India. Mr Modi also highlighted India's technological prowess and said, “India’s prototype (civil nuclear) fast breeder reactor achieved criticality (just recently), and it has brought us closer to realising our three-stage nuclear energy vision, including the use of our vast thorium reserves."

Addressing the 10th edition of VivaTech, Europe’s biggest technology event, in the French capital, the Prime Minister pointed out that with “over 2-lakh start-ups, India is one of the most vibrant ecosystems in the world”. He urged the participating tech entrepreneurs, start-ups, investors and business leaders to “work with India and deliver for all”.

Pointing out that “for India, AI means All Inclusive", Mr Modi said, “When it comes to technology, along with innovation, what matters is access. Technology can lead to progress only when it is democratised. India believes that in this era of disruption, technology must deliver for all.”

Highlighting India’s capabilities in the space sector, Mr Modi said, “From space technologies to nuclear energy, we are expanding the frontiers of human capability. India became the first country to land near the Moon’s south pole.”

Congratulating French President Emmanuel Macron, who was present on the occasion, for the success of VivaTech, Mr Modi urged all delegates to visit the India pavilion. “Here, you will get a feel of India’s immense energy," he said, adding, "AI must improve lives, widen access, drive growth and also help us sustain a healthy planet. Our participation as the AI country partner at VivaTech 2026 reflects this very vision.”

Pitching India as a destination for investment by global tech and business leaders, the Prime Minister said, “India is an open society and the world’s largest talent pool. We are simplifying regulations and ensuring ease of doing business. From innovation to commercialisation, we are supporting private enterprise through targeted incentives of over $50 billion… Our government will enable and industry will innovate. Startups will disrupt and global partners will scale with us. Together, we will move faster than ever. I call upon everyone in this room to take the lead.”

Before the tech event, Mr Modi met leading business executives in Paris and held discussions on investment opportunities and expansion plans in India. The discussions with the CEOs of the French companies focused on strengthening cooperation across sectors ranging from shipping and logistics to railways, construction and artificial intelligence, according to the ministry of external affairs.

Among those who met the Prime Minister in Paris on Thursday were chairman and CEO of CMA CGM Group Rodolphe Saadé, co-founder and CEO of Mistral AI Arthur Mensch, CEO of Alstom Martin Sion and Saint-Gobain’s chairman and CEO Benoit Bazin, among others.

Later at the VivaTech event, while speaking about India-European Union (EU) ties, Mr Modi said, “2026 is a special year for India and Europe. At the beginning of the year, we concluded the historic India-EU free trade agreement. This agreement will expand our trade and investment. And it will open up many pathways for the exchange of talent, technology and tourism.”

Praising France for its leadership, Mr Modi stated, “With the launch of the India-France year of innovation this year, France is serving as an important bridge that is bringing the tech ecosystems of India and Europe closer. From Bharat Innovates held a few days ago in Nice, to VivaTech in Paris today, our start-ups are forging many new partnerships.”

Hailing India’s growth story, the PM said, “In the last decade, India has been going through a rapid transformation that is powered by technology. From creating the world’s largest digital identity system to the world’s largest digital payments platforms. We are using technology at a massive scale for financial inclusion, education, telemedicine, agriculture and more. Consider digital payments. Because of our Unified Payments Interface (UPI) half the world’s real-time digital transactions happen in India today. You can now use UPI in France too, at the Eiffel Tower or the Paris airport.”

The Prime Minister also talked about DigiLocker, the GatiShakti platform, asserting India's technology solutions are delivering prosperity at the grassroots level.