Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju on Thursday, 18 June 2026 shared a live broadcast link on X, drawing attention to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's participation in VivaTech 2026 in Paris, one of Europe's premier technology and startup exhibitions.

Context

Rijiju's post, captioned '#WatchLive', directed followers to a live stream of PM Modi's engagement at VivaTech, underscoring the government's intent to amplify the Prime Minister's diplomatic and economic outreach to a domestic audience in real time. VivaTech is an annual technology and innovation exhibition held in Paris that brings together startups, investors, and global technology leaders from across the world.

India and France share a Strategic Partnership established in 1998 that has since expanded to cover defence, space, nuclear energy, and digital technology cooperation. High-level participation in European innovation platforms such as VivaTech fits squarely within the framework of this deepening bilateral relationship.

Policy Backdrop

India has in recent years pursued sustained engagement with European technology ecosystems as part of a broader economic diplomacy strategy. Such participation serves a dual purpose: attracting foreign investment into India's domestic startup ecosystem and signalling the country's ambitions as a global technology hub.

PM Modi has conducted multiple state visits to France since taking office in 2014, each layering new dimensions onto the bilateral partnership. Technology and innovation dialogues have featured prominently in subsequent summits, making a VivaTech appearance a natural extension of that trajectory.

Stakeholders and Impact

Indian startups and technology entrepreneurs stand to benefit most directly from the Prime Minister's visibility at a platform like VivaTech, which connects innovators with European capital and markets. The government's decision to live-stream the event reflects an awareness that such engagements carry domestic resonance beyond their immediate diplomatic value.

For France, hosting India's Prime Minister at a flagship innovation event reinforces Paris's positioning as a hub for global technology diplomacy, particularly as European nations compete to attract partnerships with fast-growing emerging economies.

What's Next

Observers will watch for any joint announcements on digital collaboration, startup investment corridors, or bilateral technology working group mandates emerging from the Paris engagement. Follow-up meetings between Indian and French technology officials are expected in the months ahead, potentially translating high-level visibility into concrete partnership frameworks.

Rijiju's amplification of the event signals that the ruling establishment views the VivaTech participation as a milestone worth broadcasting widely — a sign that the outcomes of this visit will likely be leveraged in domestic political and economic messaging in the weeks to come.