NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday held a series of bilateral talks with European leaders on the sidelines of the India AI Impact Summit, with discussions centred on the early implementation of the India–EU Free Trade Agreement (FTA) and deeper cooperation in artificial intelligence and emerging technologies.
Modi met Spanish president Pedro Sánchez, Finland Prime Minister Petteri Orpo and Serbian president Aleksandar Vučić, Estonia President Alar Karis among others, as Europe mounted its largest-ever delegation to a technology-focused event in India.
Leaders from France, the Netherlands, Spain, Croatia, Greece, Switzerland and Liechtenstein attended at the head-of-state or government level, alongside ministers and senior officials from across the continent.
In his meeting with Sánchez, Modi underscored the growing depth of India–Spain ties across defence, security and technology. “Our nations are marking 2026 as the India-Spain Year of Culture, Tourism and AI. This will deepen people-to-people linkages. Glad to see a big delegation of universities also come to India. This, too, will go a long way in connecting our people,” Modi said in a post on X.
The leaders also discussed how complementary strengths in AI could drive innovation-led growth. European leaders conveyed strong backing for the early implementation and ratification of the India–EU FTA, describing it as a transformative step for trade, investment and job creation on both sides. Sources said there was “unanimous support” among EU members for expediting the agreement through the European Council and European Parliament.
Europe remains at the forefront of AI governance and advanced semiconductor capabilities. The European Union is the first bloc globally to enact comprehensive AI legislation, and countries such as France, Germany, the Netherlands and Estonia have emerged as key players in AI research, digital governance and chip manufacturing.
The Netherlands and Belgium host critical semiconductor supply chain firms, while Germany is home to major chipmakers and fabrication facilities. India, for its part, showcased more than 600 high-potential startups and 13 country pavilions at the summit, which has drawn over 20 heads of state, 60 ministers and 500 global AI leaders.
Officials said the scale of European participation reflects a shared confidence in the India–Europe strategic partnership, anchored in digital innovation, secure supply chains and trusted technology frameworks.
During his meeting with Vučić, Modi discussed expanding cooperation in defence, manufacturing, digital public infrastructure, fertilisers and infrastructure. “For many years, India and Serbia have worked closely and I am confident our ties will gain even more momentum in the times to come,” he said.
