Macron and Modi seek the support of tech CEOs in the competition for AI infrastructure.

      TL;DR: Macron and Modi are engaging directly with tech CEOs to secure investments in AI infrastructure. Macron texted SoftBank’s Son to facilitate a €75 billion data centre deal, while Modi secured $48 billion from Amazon following a direct meeting with CEO Jassy.

      The global competition for AI infrastructure has evolved into a race built on personal relationships. French President Emmanuel Macron and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi are at the forefront, directly engaging with executives from major tech firms to obtain investments in data centres that will shape the development and deployment of future AI systems.

      Their approaches differ in execution but are united by the understanding that investors respond to direct interaction with state leaders rather than policy documents. The outcomes thus far have resulted in commitments worth tens of billions of dollars.

      Macron’s strategy:

      Macron achieved a notable success in May when SoftBank agreed to invest up to €75 billion to create 5 gigawatts of AI data centre capacity in France. The initial phase, valued at €45 billion, will establish 3.1 gigawatts across three sites in the Hauts-de-France region by 2031, with state-owned EDF providing a former power plant in Bouchain as one of the locations. This deal emerged from direct engagement; Macron contacted SoftBank founder Masayoshi Son during a visit to Japan earlier this year, and they exchanged text messages while negotiating details. In June, Macron leveraged France’s G7 presidency to host a working lunch with world leaders and CEOs from OpenAI, Anthropic, Google DeepMind, and Mistral. The preceding Choose France Summit garnered €93 billion in total investment pledges, with AI infrastructure as its focal point.

      Modi’s strategy:

      Modi has adopted a similar approach with different partners. In late June, Amazon CEO Andy Jassy met with Modi in New Delhi and announced a $48 billion investment commitment through 2030, which includes $21 billion for AI and cloud infrastructure expansion in Mumbai and Hyderabad. At the India AI Impact Summit in February, Modi engaged in bilateral talks with 16 AI startup CEOs, including Sam Altman, Dario Amodei, and Demis Hassabis. India was also designated as the AI Country Partner at VivaTech 2026 in Paris, showcasing over 80 Indian deep-tech firms alongside their European peers.

      The potential for Indian AI investment is significant. Reliance Industries pledged $110 billion for AI infrastructure over seven years, Google committed $15 billion for what it calls India’s first gigawatt-scale AI hub, and OpenAI is collaborating with Tata Group to build 100 megawatts of capacity, with plans to expand to one gigawatt.

      Challenges faced:

      The UK serves as a cautionary example. OpenAI halted its Stargate UK data centre project in April due to electricity prices approximately four times higher than in the US and unresolved regulatory issues surrounding AI copyright. Conversely, China is following a different strategy, leveraging AI capabilities as a geopolitical tool in developing nations while the G7 debates export controls. Macron and Modi are not only competing against each other but also confronting a rival strategy that views AI distribution as a form of diplomatic engagement.

      The pledge dilemma:

      The large sums involved come with common caveats. SoftBank’s €75 billion commitment is an "up to" figure, Amazon’s $48 billion is cumulative from 2026 to 2030, and the £31 billion in UK tech investment pledges related to Stargate UK have largely not come to fruition. However, France has construction progressing at designated sites with EDF as an energy partner, and India has established contracts with clear timelines and corporate entities whose reputations depend on successful delivery. The key question remains whether the personal relationships that facilitated these commitments can endure through the lengthy processes of construction, permitting, and energy procurement—issues that neither charm nor text messages can resolve.