Paris (GNP): India-France Partnership Expands Investment and Innovation OpportunitiesParis, France: Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman participated in an India and France Business Roundtable in Paris, bringing together leading French businesses, investors, and institutions to discuss opportunities for deeper economic cooperation between the two countries.
Addressing the gathering, the Finance Minister said the India-France Strategic Partnership is well positioned to support sustainable, resilient, and innovation-driven growth in an increasingly complex global economy. She noted that technological transformation, supply chain diversification, energy transition, and changing geopolitical developments are creating new opportunities for trusted international partnerships.
Sitharaman highlighted the growing cooperation between India and France in emerging technologies, particularly artificial intelligence. She said both countries are trusted partners in shaping the future of the global AI ecosystem and can expand collaboration in trusted AI solutions, digital infrastructure, and next-generation technologies.
The Finance Minister also pointed to the strong momentum in bilateral economic relations. She noted that trade between India and France has doubled over the past decade and praised the contribution of nearly 1,000 French companies currently operating in India. Their presence, she said, reflects growing confidence in India’s economic potential and business environment.
Emphasizing India’s digital transformation, Sitharaman described the country as one of the world’s leading digital economies. She highlighted successful initiatives such as Aadhaar, UPI, DigiLocker, ONDC, and India Stack, which have helped India account for nearly half of the world’s real-time digital payment transactions. The Minister encouraged French investors to explore greater collaboration in healthcare, pharmaceuticals, and biotechnology.
She said the complementary strengths of both countries in vaccines, active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs), clinical research, precision medicine, and digital health could help build stronger and more resilient healthcare value chains.Clean energy was another major focus of the discussions. Sitharaman highlighted India’s target of achieving 500 GW of non-fossil fuel energy capacity by 2030, along with initiatives such as the National Green Hydrogen Mission and Production Linked Incentive (PLI) schemes.
These programs are creating significant investment opportunities in renewable energy, green hydrogen, battery storage, offshore wind, and smart grid technologies. The Finance Minister also showcased the growth of the International Financial Services Centre Authority (IFSCA), which has emerged as a major global financial hub. As of June 2026, the center hosted more than 1,200 registered entities and continued to expand across banking, fund management, leasing, reinsurance, sustainable finance, and Global Capability Centres.
Also Read: PM to attend funeral ceremony of Ayatollah Khamenei
She further highlighted the role of the National Investment and Infrastructure Fund (NIIF), which offers long-term investment opportunities through its upcoming Infrastructure Fund II and Private Markets Fund II. These funds are expected to support investments in infrastructure, digital infrastructure, energy transition projects, and other high-growth sectors.
Inviting French businesses to participate in India’s development journey toward Viksit Bharat 2047, Sitharaman emphasized the importance of strengthening economic cooperation and creating shared prosperity for both nations.Participants from major French financial institutions welcomed India’s reform efforts, including measures to reduce compliance burdens and improve the ease of doing business.
They also shared suggestions and expectations for expanding long-term investment cooperation and building a stronger economic partnership between India and France. The roundtable reflected the growing confidence of global investors in India’s economy and highlighted the expanding scope of collaboration between India and France across technology, infrastructure, healthcare, finance, and clean energy sectors
