Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday, 18 June 2026 extended a direct invitation to global businesses, innovators, and startups to partner with India, speaking from the stage of VivaTech 2026 in Paris — Europe's largest technology conference. Modi positioned India as a rising global hub for technology and entrepreneurship, citing an unmatched talent pool, affordable data, low-cost green energy, and targeted government incentives exceeding $50 billion.

The Core Pitch to Global Business

'Work with India and deliver for all,' Modi told an audience of business leaders, startup founders, and technology enthusiasts at the 10th edition of VivaTech. He described India as an open society with the world's largest talent pool, and underlined the government's commitment to simplifying regulations and improving ease of doing business. 'From innovation to commercialisation, we are supporting private enterprise through targeted incentives of over 50 billion dollars,' he said.

Digital Infrastructure as India's Calling Card

Modi highlighted India's digital public infrastructure as a global benchmark, pointing specifically to the Unified Payments Interface (UPI) as evidence of scale. 'Half the world's real-time digital transactions happen in India today,' he said, adding that UPI is now usable in France — including at the Eiffel Tower and Paris Airport. He also cited platforms such as DigiLocker and PM Gati Shakti as examples of technology-driven governance that has improved service delivery and streamlined infrastructure planning.

Echoing VivaTech 2021: Innovation Over Convention

Modi drew a direct line to his previous appearance at VivaTech, noting that when he addressed the conference in 2021, the world was grappling with the disruption of Covid-19. 'Today, the world is experiencing disruptions of other kinds,' he said, reiterating his earlier message: 'Where convention fails, innovation can help.' The callback was deliberate — framing India's trajectory as consistent and long-term, not opportunistic.

India's Startup Ecosystem: 200,000 and Counting

The Prime Minister highlighted the scale of India's startup ecosystem, which now counts more than 200,000 startups. He stressed that India believes technology should be accessible to everyone and that innovation must deliver benefits across society — not just to a privileged few. This framing positions India's tech ambitions within a broader inclusive-growth narrative, differentiating it from high-cost Western innovation hubs.

What This Signals for Global Investors

Modi's Paris appearance is part of a broader diplomatic-economic push during his Europe visit. Addressing VivaTech — a platform that draws leading European and global technology firms — signals that India is actively courting foreign investment in its digital and deep-tech sectors. This comes amid intensifying global competition for technology partnerships, with India pitching itself as a cost-competitive, policy-stable alternative to other emerging markets. The $50 billion incentive figure, attributed directly to Modi's remarks, will be closely watched by industry for specifics on sectoral allocation and disbursement timelines.