India-France AI summit held, highlights need for ethical and inclusive AI collaboration
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The La French Tech India AI Summit 2025 was recently held in Bengaluru bringing together leaders from government, industry, startups, and academia from India and France to strengthen collaboration on artificial intelligence. Organised by La French Tech India in partnership with IFCCI, Business France, the Consulate General of France in Bangalore, and CCEF, the summit reinforced the growing strategic partnership between the two countries ahead of the India-France Year of Innovation in 2026 .
The event focused on building a shared vision for inclusive AI innovation, public interest technology, and stronger international cooperation. France's Minister of State for Digital Affairs, Clara Chappaz, opened the summit with a video message, followed by remarks from Marc Lamy, Consul General of France in Bengaluru, and Ajay Krishnan, Vice President of Karnataka Digital Economy Mission (KDEM). They encouraged open, constructive dialogue on how AI can be used to meet broader social goals.
Sharad Sharma, Co-Founder of iSPIRT, delivered the keynote address and urged India and France to co-develop an AI model that combines innovation with ethical responsibility. A panel discussion, moderated by Madhusha Mishra of Link, featured industry leaders Dr. Gaurav Aggarwal (Jio Reliance), Partha Rao (Prints.AI), Amit Pingle (Michelin Innovation Lab), and Umakant Soni (AI Foundry), who discussed real-world applications of AI and how the two countries can scale solutions that address practical needs.
In the second half of the summit, speakers addressed ethical challenges in AI. Hari Subramanian, Fellow at NitiAI and iSPIRT, presented guiding principles to build public trust in emerging technologies. Mehak Kasbekar of Brut India delivered a keynote on the media's responsibility in shaping public narratives around technology. A panel led by Rajesh Desai of Lyra India brought together Olivier Flous (Thales), Astha Kapoor (Aapti Institute), Shiv Kumar DVS (OVH), and Sachin Kumar (QpiAi) to explore how to build AI systems that respect human values and serve the greater good.
The summit highlighted how France's deeptech capabilities and ethical frameworks can complement India's scale, digital infrastructure, and talent, paving the way for a collaborative and responsible
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Economic Times
29 minutes ago
- Economic Times
US denies inviting Pakistan's Army Chief Asim Munir to 250th Army anniversary parade
The White House has dismissed claims that Pakistan's Army Chief General Asim Munir was invited to the US Army's 250th anniversary parade. The clarification comes after media reports and analysts suggested Munir might attend the Washington event, sparking backlash in India. While the US reaffirmed strong ties with India, its top commander praised Pakistan's counterterror role. The controversy has exposed delicate US diplomacy in South Asia, balancing strategic interests between two nuclear-armed rivals. Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Backlash in India over reports Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads PTI plans protest in Washington Kurilla praises Pakistan as 'phenomenal partner' Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Balanced ties with both India and Pakistan Diplomatic signals and strategic optics ( Originally published on Jun 14, 2025 ) The White House has firmly denied that any foreign military leaders, including Pakistan's Army Chief General Asim Munir, were invited to the 250th anniversary celebrations of the US Armed Forces."This is false. No foreign military leaders were invited," a White House official told South Asian media outlets, aiming to put an end to days of swirling parade, set for June 14 in Washington, D.C., also coincides with US President Donald Trump's 79th birthday. It will include tanks, musical performances, air shows, and a fireworks display, running from 11 AM to 6 PM and wrapping up with a night-time the denial, Indian political circles had reacted sharply to the rumours. Opposition figures saw the alleged invitation as a diplomatic snub to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Corporation's senior defence analyst Derek Grossman called it a 'diplomatic setback' for India. He posted on X: 'For India, the Trump admin's invitation to Pakistani Field Marshal Asim Munir is tantamount to inviting an avowed anti-India terrorist.'Munir, a controversial figure in Indian discourse, had previously described Kashmir as Pakistan's 'jugular vein' and invoked the two-nation theory, stating, "Our religions are different, our customs are different, our traditions are different, our thoughts are different, our ambitions are different... We are two nations, we are not one nation."Even before the White House statement, Pakistan's political opposition began mobilising in the Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party's US chapter announced a protest in front of the Pakistani Embassy in Washington, D.C. The rally, supported by over a dozen diaspora groups, is being held against what they called 'undeclared martial law' in Pakistan. The protest also demands free and fair elections, reflecting anger towards Munir's role in domestic a Congressional hearing, US Central Command (CENTCOM) chief General Michael Kurilla praised Pakistan's role in counterterrorism efforts. He stated:'Through a phenomenal partnership with Pakistan, they have gone after ISIS-Khorasan, killing dozens of them. Through a relationship we have with them, providing intelligence, they have captured at least five ISIS-Khorasan high-value individuals.'Kurilla gave specific credit to Munir for the arrest of Mohammad Sharifullah alias Jafar, a suspect in the 2021 Kabul airport bombing that killed 13 American soldiers and over 160 said, 'The first person Munir called was me and said, 'I've caught him, I'm willing to extradite him back to the US. Please tell the secretary of defence and the president.''Despite warm words for Islamabad, Kurilla made clear that the US values its relationship with India as well."We need to have a relationship with Pakistan and with India. I do not believe it is a binary switch that we can't have one with Pakistan if we have a relationship with India. We should look at the merits of the relationship for the positives that it has," Kurilla told remark reflects Washington's careful approach in South Asia, where tensions between India and Pakistan often challenge American policy expert Michael Kugelman weighed in on the speculation around Munir's travel plans. He suggested that if the Pakistani Army Chief does visit, it may involve meetings at CENTCOM.'Much is unclear about Gen. Munir's reported upcoming trip to the US. But if he comes, a CENTCOM visit is a possibility. He and Gen Kurilla have met 3 times in less than 2 years. Kurilla praised him yesterday in Hill testimony. US-Pak officer-to-officer ties are generally strong,' said claimed Munir was set to meet senior Pentagon and State Department officials during his trip. However, with the White House ruling out his attendance at the parade, the visit—if it happens—will now likely unfold in a lower profile the furore, US officials also reiterated their strategic partnership with Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce confirmed that Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau recently met with a visiting Indian parliamentary delegation led by Congress MP Shashi Tharoor. According to Bruce, the two sides discussed counterterrorism cooperation and reaffirmed shared democratic the storm over Munir's supposed invitation seems to have calmed, it has revealed the tightrope the United States continues to walk in balancing its vital security interests in a volatile region.
Time of India
39 minutes ago
- Time of India
Cheers next door: Delhi liquor stores lose ground; customers prefer Haryana, UP options, revenue loss hits Rs 1,500 crore
NEW DELHI: Until a few years ago, 40-year-old Arun Bhatia, a marketing professional with a multinational FMCG company, always shopped for his preferred brands of liquor in Delhi. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The rates were relatively cheaper than in Noida, where he lives, and he trusted the quality more. He would spend considerable time at his favourite shop in Connaught Place, browsing through the various brands available there. The trend changed completely in the last three years. Bhatia and several other liquor enthusiasts in Delhi now visit the ultra-modern liquor shops in neighbouring Gurgaon or Faridabad, where not only are the prices lower, but the variety of Indian and foreign brands in each category of liquor is also huge. Customers visit the liquor showrooms in the neighbouring towns of Haryana and Uttar Pradesh for the sheer experience that is completely missing in the capital, where people are forced to jostle against each other in a small shop and ask for the bottle from across a huge desk or an iron grill. What changed in the last few years was that the retail liquor business in the capital failed to keep pace with other states. Before Nov 2021, when Delhi govt rolled out a new excise policy, there were both state-run stores and private shops involved in the retail liquor business. While the four state corporations – Delhi Tourism and Transportation Development Corporation, Delhi State Industrial and Infrastructure Development Corporation, Delhi State Civil Supplies Corporation and Delhi Consumers' Cooperative Wholesale Store Limited – operated nearly 475 shops, there were 375 private liquor stores. With the rollout of Delhi Excise Policy-2021, govt handed over the retail and wholesale liquor business to private entities. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The policy, however, soon ran into trouble and had to be withdrawn. As a knee-jerk reaction, the then state govt reintroduced the previous excise policy but handed over the retail business to the four govt corporations. According to industry insiders, Delhi's existing retail model, which is a legacy of the past, has drawbacks that hurt consumers, businesses and the state treasury alike. "The govt-run retail structure reduces competition and limits brand availability. This restricts consumer choice, as retailers promote select products instead of offering a diverse range," said an industry insider. A senior Delhi govt official agreed that the four corporations almost "monopolised" the retail business and promoted select brands. The capping on retail margin at Rs 50 for India-made foreign liquor and Rs 100 for foreign liquor, which was discontinued during the nine months in 2022 and 2023 when the new excise policy was in force, returned with the rollback to the old excise regime. "Instead of stocking premium brands that move slowly, the retailers thus keep cheaper brands in a price range of Rs 400–600, which sell faster," said the official. Delhi govt, meanwhile, recently announced that it would soon roll out a new policy, making sale and distribution of liquor in the city transparent and accountable. A high-level committee had been formed under chief secretary for the purpose, it said. An analysis done by the excise department showed that the top 10 brands of liquor sold in Delhi do not figure in the preference list of customers in other states. 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Indian Express
an hour ago
- Indian Express
The rearming of Europe: India must tap opportunities for exports and joint research
Prime minister Narendra Modi's visit this week to Cyprus and Croatia, members of the European Union (EU), was preceded by External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar's visit to France, EU and Belgium last week and to the Netherlands, Denmark and Germany earlier in May. Bilateral relations are rapidly evolving, anchored in the India-EU strategic partnership. In February, during the visit of Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission, and the EU College of Commissioners to India, the two sides had welcomed growing defence cooperation, including joint exercises and collaboration between the Indian Navy and EU maritime security entities. The two sides had also committed to exploring a security and defence partnership. In this context, one must closely examine the opportunities for deepening the partnership provided by the Joint White Paper (WP) on European Defence — Readiness 2030, issued by the European Commission in March. The new policy approach outlined by the WP has undoubtedly been occasioned by the protracted war in Ukraine and recent stresses in the transatlantic partnership with the US. The main thrust of the WP is to support member states in achieving full defence readiness by 2030. The target is to mobilise additional defence expenditure of up to 1.5 per cent of the GDP. Based on projections of gradual progression, defence investment could reach at least €800 billion over the next four years. The scope of the WP points to opportunities for Indian defence industries to acquire or establish start-ups and small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in Europe. Both Europe and India have recently been tested for their defence preparedness. In the short term, the emphasis in Europe is on replenishing stocks of ammunition, weapons, and military equipment. This may provide an opening for India to export ammunition to Europe. The Indian defence sector has received a boost in the aftermath of military tensions with China and, more recently, with Pakistan. India's defence exports have surged to a record high of approximately Rs 23,622 crore (US$2.76 billion) in the financial year 2024–25. A foundation has been laid for a higher quantum of exports in the future. In the wake of the high-level visits this year, India should endeavour to explore sales of Advanced Towed Artillery Guns (ATAGs), the Pinaka Multi-Barrel Rocket Launcher, air defence missiles, and radars that meet NATO standards. The focus in the WP on critical and foundational technologies — such as artificial intelligence, quantum, biotechnologies, and hypersonic technologies — and their classification as dual-use with both economic and military implications offers India a chance to collaborate with EU member states. The strong undercurrent of commitment in the WP to enhancing Ukraine's defence and security capacities is noteworthy. The new policy is oriented toward sharing the EU's military mobility corridors, space assets, and services with Ukraine. The key, therefore, lies in Indian companies being part of the landscape in the EU, and perhaps in Ukraine as well, at an early stage in the process of internal integration and harmonisation of the regulatory framework. India should explore opportunities for acquisitions and joint research in defence technologies. As such, the EU has welcomed India's interest in joining projects under its Permanent Structured Cooperation (PESCO) and in engaging in negotiations for a Security of Information Agreement (SoIA). India should closely study the evolving EU model of defence preparedness and adopt best practices to refine its own roadmap toward atmanirbharta in aerial mobility — particularly the development of domestic civil transport aircraft manufacturing and maintenance, repair, and overhaul hubs. The EU's defence omnibus package offers India a chance to collaborate with the EU on cross-certification of defence products and mutual recognition of certification, creating the basis for a future market for India's military and dual-use products. The changes in the EU may also provide job opportunities for Indian skilled professionals to work in the defence industrial complex across the EU. It is vital for India to engage each of the EU members on migration and mobility issues in the context of the ongoing FTA negotiations. The EU's harmonisation of rules and procedures for defence procurement could lead to some changes in export regulations. Major European producers of defence equipment could find their capacities committed to national needs or to the ReArm Europe Plan. India would have to examine the impact, if any, on its supply chains originating in Europe. India could explore the possibility of joining the EU Defence Innovation Scheme (EUDIS), drawing from its experience in initiatives such as the INDUS-X with the US — though this may require some special arrangements, since entities participating in EUDIS projects are generally required to be located in the EU or Norway with local legal identity and control. Further, with the emphasis on infrastructure in the WP, Indian engineering, procurement, and construction companies should explore the potential for securing contracts for the expansion of EU multimodal corridors, including ports and terminals. The emergence of the EU defence union will mark a scaling up of all existing European defence and security structures. The rapid rearmament of Europe is seen as a bulwark against Russia, reasserting Europe's strategic autonomy in securing itself as well as Ukraine, and strengthening the EU's defence contributions to the still valid transatlantic partnership. As an aspiring global power and strategically autonomous pole, India should invest strongly in the partnership with the EU. The writer is the director general of the Manohar Parrikar Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses
