Top News

French President Emmanuel Macron on Thursday strongly endorsed India’s digital transformation, saying the country has built a pioneering artificial intelligence system and created a digital identity architecture serving 1.4 billion people.

Delivering his keynote address at the Artificial Intelligence Impact Summit 2026 in New Delhi, Macron praised India’s ability to deploy technology at population scale, calling its digital ecosystem unique in the world.

“India Has Built What No Other Country Has”

Macron said India has developed an AI system that no other country has managed to replicate in terms of scale and integration. He highlighted the country’s rapid progress in combining artificial intelligence with large-scale public digital infrastructure.

The French President also applauded India’s digital payment system, describing it as a transformative platform that has reshaped financial access and inclusion. He noted that India’s digital public infrastructure has become a model for other nations exploring similar systems.

Digital Identity For 1.4 Billion People

In a significant remark, Macron said India has successfully created a digital identity framework for 1.4 billion people. an achievement he suggested was unprecedented globally.

He praised India for building a digital ecosystem capable of serving its entire population, emphasising how such infrastructure enables efficient service delivery, financial inclusion and technological innovation at scale.

Macron’s comments come amid growing international interest in India’s digital public goods model, which integrates identity, payments and data platforms to support economic growth and governance.

AI Summit Draws Global Attention

The Artificial Intelligence Impact Summit 2026 is currently underway at Bharat Mandapam, bringing together global leaders, policymakers, technology experts and industry representatives to deliberate on the future of artificial intelligence.

The summit was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, with discussions focusing on AI governance, ethical deployment, innovation ecosystems and international cooperation.

Several high-level meetings are being held behind closed doors, as participating nations explore frameworks for responsible AI development and cross-border collaboration.