Macron and Modi weaponize personal diplomacy in AI infrastructure race

While Western tech companies focus on chip design and data centers, France and India are securing AI advantage through direct leader-to-leader relationships and bilateral agreements that bypass traditional multilateral frameworks. This marks a shift in how geopolitical power translates to tech dominance: personal trust and political alignment now compete with capital and engineering talent as determinants of access. Startups and companies without direct political backing face asymmetric competition when seeking state-controlled resources or preferential partnerships.