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Prime Minister Narendra Modi and French President Emmanuel Macron on Sunday discussed the expansion of the United Payments Interface (UPI) in France. Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri, while speaking during the special briefing on the visit of the Prime Minister to Nice, said that the UPI is available in several localities in France, including at the Eiffel Tower.

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"This issue related to UPI expansion. I believe UPI is already available at several localities in France now. I think it's available at quite a few major airports, at the very least. I know it's available at the Eiffel Tower. It was launched there. And there is discussion on expanding its availability in other cities as well," he said. The UPI was launched in Paris on July 3, 2024.

Bharat Innovates: A Platform for Deep Tech

Misri noted that Bharat Innovates was not just a platform for UPI, but also for deep tech. "Bharat Innovates, obviously, is a platform for, in this case, deep tech innovation, but to the extent that it enables innovators, venture capitalists, funders from a variety of areas to get together. It's not just UPI, but several other similar innovations and applications in the fintech field that have the opportunity to introduce themselves to the larger community. I understand that in the next few days, in the coming week, UPI is going to be available also at Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris and, interestingly enough, right here at the airport in Nice as well," he said.

Misri said that Bharat Innovates showed the world what was possible in India. "As far as priority areas are concerned, it's between India and France. The traditional areas of bilateral trade, whether it's in the field of technology, engineering goods, or textiles, will definitely be a priority. But as far as other areas are concerned, whether it's defence or nuclear, we haven't talked about space, but space is also a big area. And today, because of Bharat Innovates, people not only from France, but from all over the world have come to know about what is possible in India. So, I think Bharat Innovates will also be able to encourage bilateral trade," he said. Bharat Innovates, a three-day event, brought together Indian deep-tech start-ups, innovators, researchers and investors with global innovation funds and footprint.

Strengthening India-France Ties

Prime Minister Narendra Modi held bilateral talks with the President of France, Emmanuel Macron, at Villa Kerylos in Nice on June 14. This was the first meeting of the two leaders since the elevation of India-France ties to the level of 'Special Global Strategic Partnership' earlier this year. (ANI)