Macron Lauds India: "Built What No Other Country Can" In Digital Revolution

French President Emmanuel Macron praised India's unprecedented digital transformation during his address at the India AI Impact Summit 2026, declaring that the country has "built what no other country can." Speaking on February 19 at Bharat Mandapam, Macron highlighted India's digital public infrastructure as a unique global achievement, describing it as not merely a technological feat but a "civilisational story."

Macron began his speech with a "namaste" and expressed delight at returning to India following his 2024 state visit. He specifically lauded the India Stack — an open, interoperable, and sovereign digital framework — which includes Aadhaar, a digital identity system covering 1.4 billion people; the Unified Payments Interface (UPI), processing around 20 billion transactions monthly; and a health infrastructure that has issued over 500 million digital health IDs. He illustrated the impact with the example of a Mumbai street vendor who, once unable to access banking services, now seamlessly accepts digital payments via a phone.

The French leader emphasized that these accomplishments set India apart as a pioneer in inclusive technology governance and financial inclusion. Macron noted how such systems have democratized access, enabling transformative changes at scale for the world's largest population. He connected this to the broader AI context, suggesting India's approach offers valuable lessons for responsible and sovereign AI development amid global acceleration in the field.

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The remarks came during Day 4 of the five-day India AI Impact Summit 2026 (February 16-20), hosted at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi as the first major AI summit in the Global South. The event, inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, features discussions on AI's pillars of people, planet, and progress, with participation from world leaders including UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and Brazil's President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, alongside tech executives from companies like Google, OpenAI, and Anthropic.

Macron also referenced the 2025 France-India co-hosted AI Action Summit in Paris, underscoring ongoing bilateral cooperation on shaping global AI rules, ethical innovation, and investments. He positioned Europe, including France's own AI initiatives powered by nuclear energy, as a partner in creating safe, regulated environments for AI advancement while avoiding divides in access.

Overall, Macron's address reinforced India's rising stature in the global AI landscape, portraying its digital foundations as a model for inclusive, sovereign technology that empowers citizens and drives equitable progress in the AI era.

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