VivaTech 2026.
The Indian student cheat sheet.
Two days that matter. One job board to bookmark.
The basics
Wednesday 17 opens 08:30
Thursday, Friday, Saturday run 09:00 to 18:00
Last entry 30 minutes before close
Thursday 18 is India day.
- PM Narendra Modi confirmed attending.
- India EU Stack roundtable, 09:30, VivaTech Theater.
- President Macron keynote on AI and Europe the same day.
Delegation
Led by ITPO with DPIIT, MeitY and the Ministry of Education.
Indian startups exhibiting
If you can only do one day, do Thursday.
Saturday 20 is for students.
Saturday is the Festival des Curieux. Public Day, open to everyone, 09:00 to 18:00.
France Travail confirmed a job dating session the same day with around 30 tech companies recruiting in development, cybersecurity, data, AI, digital marketing and IT support.
Curated enterprise list for Indian aspirants
Hand-picked companies recruiting at VivaTech with what they actually look for, what role types they post, and how to find their stand on the show floor. We update this list as new companies confirm.
Sessions worth blocking time for
India EU Stack roundtable
Indian + EU delegation
Thursday 09:30, VivaTech Theater
AI and Europe, keynote
Emmanuel Macron, President of France
Thursday
GTC Paris keynote
Jensen Huang, NVIDIA
Refer to official program
On world models
Yann LeCun, Meta
Refer to official program
On European AI
Arthur Mensch, Mistral
Refer to official program
Keynote
Bernard Arnault, LVMH
Refer to official program
Check the official program for exact slot times closer to the day.
FranceMitra tips
Editorial advice from our team. Not from a press release. Use it as a starting point.
- 1
Bring a different CV for each company
A generic CV gets you nowhere at a show this dense. Tune one version per stand you plan to visit. Same skills, different framing for each role you are aiming at.
- 2
Lead with your France experience
Talk first about what you have done in France, even if it is small. Internship, project, hackathon, language class. Back it up with your India experience only after they ask, not before.
- 3
Always open with Bonjour
Even if the rest of the conversation runs in English, start every approach with Bonjour. It is the single most reliable social signal in France and recruiters notice when it is missing.
- 4
Use the French you have
Even three sentences in French changes how the conversation goes. Recruiters adjust their pitch, your CV gets read more carefully, and you stand out from the rest of the line.
- 5
Most important. Find the after-work events.
The real conversations happen from 18:00 onwards at the unofficial after-work events around the show. Watch for invites at the stands you visit during the day. If you do not see one, ask point blank. That is where offers move from polite interest to real follow-up.
Can't make it? Drop your CV.
The official VivaTech job board has around 2,000 offers from event partners. Open year round.
Open the official job board