'Come and invest': Modi, Pichai discuss AI’s future, urge global companies to bet on India's 'Yuva Shakti'

Prime Minister Narendra Modi met Google & Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai during the sidelines of the AI Action Summit in Paris, where both discussed the role of India and its youth in making strides in the fast-emerging technology. Emphasising that India is making remarkable strides in AI, leveraging it for the public good, Prime Minister Narendra Modi urged the world to come and invest in India and bet on our Yuva Shakti.

Expressing his satisfaction to have met Pichai, PM Modi responded to his post on X, saying: “Glad to have met you @sundarpichai. India is making remarkable strides in AI, leveraging it for the public good. We urge the world to come and invest in our nation and bet on our Yuva Shakti!”

Before that, Pichai took to X to share where he discussed the opportunities AI will bring to India with PM Modi. "Delighted to meet with PM @narendramodi today while in Paris for the AI Action Summit. We discussed the incredible opportunities AI will bring to India and ways we can work closely together on India’s digital transformation."

Before this, Pichai had met PM Modi in September 2024 in the U.S. during the Quad Leaders' Summit hosted by former US president Joe Biden in Delaware. PM Modi, during his opening address at the AI Action Summit in Paris yesterday, said AI is writing the code for humanity in this century and is re-shaping policy, economy, security and even society.

He also said India leads in AI adoption, and techno-legal solutions on data privacy. "We are developing AI applications for the public good. We have one of the world’s largest AI talent pools. India is building its Large Language Model considering our diversity. We also have a unique public-private partnership model for pooling resources like computing power. It is made available to our start-ups and researchers at an affordable cost," says the PM.

PM Modi and President of France Emmanuel Macron also addressed the 14th India-France CEOs Forum in Paris today. The forum brought together CEOs from a diverse group of companies from both sides, focusing on sectors such as defence, aerospace, critical and emerging technologies, infrastructure, advanced manufacturing, artificial intelligence, life sciences, wellness and lifestyle, and food and hospitality.

The Prime Minister noted the expanding India-France business and economic collaboration and the impetus it has provided to the strategic partnership between the two countries. He highlighted India’s attractiveness as a favoured global investment destination, based on its stable polity and predictable policy ecosystem.

Talking of the reforms announced in the recent Union budget, PM Modi said the insurance sector was now open for 100% FDI and the civil nuclear energy sector for private participation with a focus on SMR and AMR technologies; the customs rate structure was rationalised; and simplified income tax code was being brought in to enhance Ease of Living. "Referring to the government’s commitment to continue ushering in reforms, he noted a high-level committee for regulatory reforms had been constituted to establish trust-based economic governance. In the same spirit, more than 40,000 compliances had been rationalized in the last few years."

Prime Minister invited French companies to look at the opportunities offered by the India growth story, in the defence, energy, highway, civil aviation, space, healthcare, fintech and sustainable development sectors. Air Bus CEO Guillaume Faury, BlaBlaCar CEO Nicolas Brusson, Capgemini Group CEO, L'Oréal CEO Nicolas Hieronimus, Pernod Ricard CEO Alexandre Ricard, Safran CEO Olivier Andriès, and Total Energies SE CEO PATRICK Pouyanné, among others, were present at the meet.