India and France Adopt Innovation Roadmap 2030 to Deepen AI, Technology and Research Partnership
By Suman Munshi
New Delhi, June 15:
India and France have unveiled the India–France Innovation Roadmap 2030, a comprehensive framework aimed at strengthening bilateral cooperation in artificial intelligence (AI), emerging technologies, research, education, healthcare, innovation and strategic industries.
The roadmap builds on the Special Global Strategic Partnership announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and French President Emmanuel Macron on 17 February 2026, when the two leaders jointly inaugurated the India-France Year of Innovation 2026.
Trusted AI at the Core
A major pillar of the roadmap is the development of “Trusted AI”, with both countries committing to promote safe, secure and trustworthy AI systems aligned with democratic values and human rights. The partnership will encourage cooperation on AI governance, standards, regulation and responsible development of frontier and generative AI technologies.
The two nations will also prioritize child safety online, working together on privacy-preserving age verification, safety-by-design AI systems and outcome-based safety standards for AI applications interacting with children.
Academic Mobility and Student Exchanges
Recognizing the importance of talent development, India and France reaffirmed their commitment to expand academic cooperation, including updating the Mutual Recognition of Qualifications (MRQ) framework. France also reiterated its objective of welcoming 30,000 Indian students by 2030.
Several Indian and French institutions have signed agreements covering student exchanges, research collaboration, dual-degree programmes and innovation partnerships.
Stronger Industry-Academia Collaboration
The roadmap emphasizes deeper collaboration among governments, universities, startups and industries to drive innovation-led growth and resilient technology ecosystems.
Both countries highlighted the importance of institutions such as the Indo-French Centre for the Promotion of Advanced Research (CEFIPRA) and the newly launched India-France Innovation Network (IFIN) to strengthen bilateral innovation ecosystems.
Among the major initiatives announced are:
- Establishment of a Franco-Indian Aeronautics Training Campus in Kanpur.
- Launch of the India-France InnoXchange Bridge to facilitate startup collaboration, research residencies and technology exchange.
- Greater cooperation between small and medium enterprises (SMEs).
- Expanded collaboration in the space sector, including participation in the Bengaluru Space Expo and the International Space Summit in Paris scheduled for September 2026.
Health and Data Innovation
India and France will further collaborate on consent-based and privacy-preserving data-sharing frameworks to support AI-driven healthcare research and public-interest innovation, building on existing cooperation between ICMR and France’s Health Data Hub.
Multiple Institutional Agreements
The roadmap is accompanied by a series of agreements involving leading institutions, including IIT Bombay, IIT Delhi, IIT Madras, IIT Hyderabad, IIT Gandhinagar, IIT Tirupati, IISc Bengaluru and several prestigious French universities and organizations. These collaborations focus on AI, aerospace, energy, sustainability, climate change, digital technologies, entrepreneurship and advanced research.
The India-France Innovation Roadmap 2030 aims to strengthen technological sovereignty, promote trusted and human-centric innovation, and create new opportunities for research, investment and economic growth while addressing global challenges through long-term bilateral cooperation.
