Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Sunday that relations between India and France have reached "new heights," addressing the virtual inauguration of the BAPS Swaminarayan Hindu Mandir in Bussy-Saint-Georges near Paris. Modi described the bilateral partnership as particularly special, noting that it rests on a solid foundation of long-standing cultural and political ties between the two nations, even as he joined the ceremony remotely from New Delhi. "In recent years, relations between India and France have reached new heights. Together with my friend, President Emmanuel Macron, both nations are building a Special Global Strategic Partnership," Modi said during his address.

He noted that India and France are collaborating closely across a range of strategic sectors, including technology, artificial intelligence, defence, space and climate action, and pointed out that 2026 is being observed as the India-France Year of Innovation, marking a deliberate push to deepen cooperation across these domains. Modi described the temple's inauguration as another significant milestone in India-France cultural relations, calling the structure "Made in India" and "Built in France," a reference to the fact that several of the temple's stones were carved in India using traditional craftsmanship before being assembled in France using modern engineering techniques.

He expressed hope that the grand temple would stand for centuries as a symbol of cooperation and opportunity between the two countries, reflecting what he described as the civilizational values of India's Sanatan tradition on a global platform. The prime minister also traced the historical and spiritual threads connecting the two nations, recalling the sacrifices of Indian soldiers who fought in France during past conflicts, as well as the intellectual exchanges that have linked the two societies over generations. He cited French writer Romain Rolland's writings on Indian spiritual figures such as Ramakrishna Paramhansa and Swami Vivekananda, along with the influence of "the Mother" at the Sri Aurobindo Ashram in Puducherry, describing these as long-standing spiritual connections that have brought Indian and French societies closer over the years.

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Modi also credited ISKCON founder Srila Prabhupada Swami with opening "a new chapter of spiritual relations" between the two countries. Drawing a further cultural parallel, Modi pointed to the growing popularity of yoga around iconic French landmarks such as the Eiffel Tower, suggesting that such practices, much like the new temple, serve as important bridges between people and cultures. "A new chapter is being added to our cultural relations through this grand, divine temple," he said, framing the inauguration as the beginning of a broader new era in the countries' cultural engagement.

Modi also used an economic analogy to underline the wider possibilities opened up by closer cultural ties between the two nations, suggesting that growing people-to-people connections could translate into expanded opportunities for joint ventures and collaboration. His remarks came as India and France continue to strengthen a partnership that officials on both sides have increasingly framed as encompassing not just traditional strategic cooperation but also deeper cultural and spiritual dimensions, with the newly inaugurated Paris temple positioned as a lasting symbol of that expanding relationship.

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