Grammy-winning composer Ricky Kej joined Emmanuel Macron and First Lady Brigitte Macron in Mumbai on Tuesday as part of the official French delegation for the India-France Year of Innovation 2026, launched jointly by Macron and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. In an exclusive chat with us, the composer described it as an honour and a privilege to be a part of this. “I’m really fortunate and honoured to be part of the French delegation to India,” Kej said. “It’s amazing to be in the presence of such an incredible world leader like President Macron and of course Madam Brigitte.” The visit turned memorable even before landing in India. Kej happened to be in Paris at the time and travelled aboard the presidential aircraft with Macron. “We ended up having dinner together on the plane and had beautiful conversations on India and France, on culture and the impact that culture has, and how important soft power is in today’s world,” he shared. A casual photograph taken on the flight has since captured public attention. The delegation landed in Mumbai close to midnight and headed straight to the Taj Mahal Palace hotel before a packed schedule began the next day. One of the highlights was a lunch interaction with members of the Hindi film industry, including filmmaker Neeraj Ghaywan, actors Anil Kapoor and Manoj Bajpayee, director Zoya Akhtar and veteran actor Shabana Azmi, alongside the French delegation. “It was a beautiful discussion on how India and France can cooperate in getting stories of France out in India and Indian stories out in France,” said Kej. “We spoke about uplifting arthouse cinema in both countries, and about meaningful cooperation, financially and creatively, and cross-cultural collaborations within the movie industry.” Kej’s association with Macron goes back a few years. He first met the French President during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s State visit to France in 2023, where they dined at the Louvre Museum. The two reconnected in December 2024 in Riyadh at the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) conference. “Both him and his wife Brigitte are absolutely generous people, very good human beings,” Kej said and added, “President Macron is a great leader, someone who brings people together. It’s been wonderful spending time with him.”
The delegation’s India itinerary continues with multiple engagements in Mumbai and Delhi, including the upcoming AI Summit, before Kej returns to France, once again aboard the presidential flight, marking yet another chapter in a cultural dialogue he believes is only growing stronger.
