New Delhi : Sophie Primas, Minister Delegate for Foreign Trade and French Nationals Abroad, attached to the Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs of France, will be in India on a three-day official trip from November 27-29 to boost Indo-French business and innovation ties, an official statement said.
Primas will begin her India trip on November 27 in Delhi, where she will meet Piyush Goyal, Minister of Commerce and Industry. She will seek to enhance ease of doing business and investment flows between France and India, the goal being to not only increase French investments in India but also invite more Indian FDI into France, Europe's leading FDI destination, the statement said.
Primas and Goyal will open the France-India CEOs Forum concluding session co-chaired by Paul Hermelin, Chairman - CapGemini Board of Directors, and Hari Bhartia, Co-Chairman - Jubilant Life Sciences Limited, the statement said.
In the afternoon, Primas will address the 2024 Asia-Pacific Forum of Foreign Trade Advisers of France and give away the Grand Prix VIE Asia-Pacific, awarded to young business professionals (VIEs).
On November 28, Primas will travel to Chennai, Tamil Nadu, where French companies bring numerous jobs and skills and contribute to the dynamic State's economic success story. She will meet T R B Rajaa, Minister of Industry, Investment Promotions and Commerce to discuss ways of further increasing France's flourishing economic and business ties with the state.
In Chennai, Primas will also visit the R&D Centre of Saint Gobain, leading French manufacturer of glass, and light and sustainable construction materials. Located at the IIT Madras Research Park, the R&D centre has developed an ecosystem remarkable for fostering innovation by linking academic researchers with the industrial sector and partnering with start-ups, as per the statement.
On November 29, Primas will inaugurate the new French international school in the presence of the Mayor of Chennai, Priya Ranjan. Offering a bilingual track, this international school brings the excellence of the French education system to Chennai, the statement added.
Primas will be in Puducherry on November 29, where she will pay a courtesy call on the Lieutenant Governor, M K Kailashnathan. She will also lay a wreath at the French War Memorial in tribute to those who laid down their lives for France in World War I. Lastly, she will visit the Lycee francais international de Pondichery to interact with students, teachers, parents and alumni.