On Tuesday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi highlighted the measures India has taken to make business easier and simplify regulations while speaking to CEOs in France. At the India-France CEO Forum in Paris, PM Modi said, “Let me tell you all, this is the right time to come to India. Everyone’s progress is linked to India’s progress. An example of this was seen in the aviation sector when Indian companies placed large orders for airplanes. And, now, when we are going to open 120 new airports, you can imagine the future possibilities for yourselves”.

He said India is becoming “the biggest centre of diversification and de-risking”. He said, “A few days ago, a new generation of reforms were outlined in our budget. New steps have been taken for ease of doing business. In the last few years, we have rationalised more than 40,000 compliances. To promote trust-based economic governance, a high-level committee for regulatory reforms has been formed. The custom rate structure has been rationalised.”

The Union Budget 2025-26 introduced several steps to make business and personal compliance easier. It launched the Export Promotion Mission and BharatTradeNet to simplify export procedures and improve logistics. Additionally, customs duty reforms were announced for essential materials, including those used in EV production.

“The National Manufacturing Mission has been announced. And, new sectors, such as the insurance sector, have been opened for 100 per cent FDI. You must study all these initiatives carefully,” PM Modi said.

The 14th India-France CEOs Forum brought together business leaders from various companies in both countries. They focused on key industries, including defence, aerospace, new and advanced technologies, infrastructure, modern manufacturing, artificial intelligence, healthcare, wellness, lifestyle & food and hospitality. “The 1.4 billion people of India have resolved to build a developed India by 2047. Be it defence or advanced technology, fintech or pharma, tech or textile, agriculture or aviation, healthcare or highways, space or sustainable development. There are many opportunities for investments and collaborations in all these areas for all of you,” added PM Modi.

External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, along with France's Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs, Jean-Noël Barrot, and Minister of Economy, Finance, and Industrial and Digital Sovereignty, Eric Lombard, also spoke at the Forum.

Speaking about the conference, Jaishankar stated, "The digital era calls for trust and transparency." Jaishankar further said, “These are indeed shared attributes between us. The summit is a reminder in itself of how much we could be doing in AI, software development and cyber security. 2026 has been designated the India-France year of innovation.”

In his opening remarks, Jaishankar stated that France and India have a history of independent mindsets. “This has been expressed, at different times, as the third way, as strategic autonomy or as a multi-polar world. But, it is not just that we think similarly. We also actively strive to strengthen each other’s position and make our collaboration an important element of contemporary world affairs,” he said.

“Because our ties are trust-driven and value-based, they have developed a very high level of comfort. That, in turn, allows us to contemplate a broad set of domains for cooperation, including some sensitive ones,” said Jaishankar. The minister said that the meaning of "strategic" and the quality of strategic partnerships have grown more important than before. 

“The very quality of our partnership encourages the ambitious nature of our agenda. The more we do with each other, the more we strengthen our own positions. And equally important, help stabilise the global economy in volatile and uncertain times. Partnerships have a real meaning only when they get translated on the ground. And that responsibility rests largely with business,” said Jaishankar. Referring to the 'Make in India' initiative, Jaishankar said, “We are moving from a buyer-seller phase to greater and deeper collaboration. Even co-designing and co-production. The ‘Make in India’ initiative has opened many new possibilities in that regard. Equally, we need to shape the global discourse in this key domain. Only a multipolar world can ensure that AI is developed with the least bias.”

Jaishankar said that de-risking the global economy has become even more urgent. “We need more diversified production, resilient and reliable supply chains and deeper business collaborations. India and France can make a difference, including by motivating the rest of the EU. There are very few places in the world where the infrastructure is changing as rapidly as it is in India today. You see that in railways, airports, highways and ports,” said Jaishankar.

Jaishankar stated that the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC) has the potential to be a game changer. “It is no accident that later this evening PM Modi and President Macron will be travelling to Marseille. There have been complications in IMEC, but I do want to tell our friends in France and Europe, that there has also been some progress on its eastern end. As incomes rise in India, lifestyles change accordingly. And we all know that this can be a driver of new demands in a vast range of domains,” Jaishankar said.