SRI SHARADA INSTITUTE OF INDIAN MANAGEMENT - RESEARCH

Project

On

INDO-FRENCH RELATIONS

SUBMITTED TO - SUBMITTED BY-

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Dr.Ritvik Dubey S.Rajalakshmi(20100143)

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

By doing this project, We feel greatly honored to be a management student of

SRI SIIM. We have got a great theoretical & practical experience of the

corporate world.

This report is the result of labor spanning over 3 days. We have got lots of

encouragement and co-operation from our fellow friends, respected teachers,

our parents, good wishers.

We would like to thank Rev. Swamiji, CMD of SRI SIIM& we would like to

thank our subject faculty Dr.Ritvik Dubey for his sincere co-operation .

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France–India relations

France–India relations refers to bilateral relations between the French Republic and the Republic of India were established in 1947 and both nations have since established close co-operation in defence and commerce.

India-France Relations

Relations between India and France have traditionally been close and friendly. With the establishment of the strategic partnership in 1998, there has been significant progress in all areas of bilateral cooperation through regular high-level exchanges at the Head of State/Head of Government levels and growing commercial exchanges including in strategic areas such as defence, nuclear energy and space. France was the first country with which India entered into an agreement on nuclear energy following the waiver given by International Atomic Energy Agency and the Nuclear Suppliers’ Group enabling India to resume full civil nuclear cooperation with the international community. Today our relations are growing fast in important areas for the future, with wide-ranging cooperation in political, economic and cultural fields and on defence, space, science & technology, and education. France has consistently supported India’s increasing role in international fora.

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At the invitation of Prime Minister Shri Manmohan Singh, President Sarkozy undertook his second visit to India from 4-7 December 2010. His visit contributed to further strengthening the bilateral relationship between India and France – especially in key areas of civil nuclear, space and defence co-operation. This was an occasion for both leaders to reaffirm their shared vision and values and to announce their determination to give a new impetus to the Indo-French Strategic Partnership and greater content to our economic and commercial relations, while expanding ties in the fields of culture, science and technology and education.

In the last two years, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and President Sarkozy have also met at international conferences - the G-8 + 5 in Italy and the G-20 Summit in London (April 2009) and Pittsburg (Sept 2009). The two leaders held a separate meeting on the sidelines of the CHOGM in Trinidad & Tobago on 27 November 2009 and G-20 Summit in Toronto in June 2010 and in Seoul in November 2010, and discussed both bilateral and global issues.

PM’s visit as Guest of Honour to the 14 July Bastille Day Celebrations Earlier, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had visited France from 13-14 July 2009. He was the guest of honour at the French National Day celebrations (Bastille Day parade). A 400-strong contingent of the Indian armed forces led the Bastille Day parade - thefirst time ever, that Indian troops took part in another country’s national day parade. President Sarkozy hosted a lunch in honour of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, after which PM and the President addressed a larger gathering at the President’s National Day reception at the Elysée. PM extended an invitation to President Sarkozy and his wife to visit India which they did in December 2010.

Institutional Structure for dialogue

France and India have instituted a high-level, Strategic Dialogue at the level of National Security Advisors which provides both sides an opportunity to review key elements of the bilateral agenda between India and France and particularly, the overall global security situation and emerging challenges. The 21st round of the IndiaFrance Strategic Dialogue took place in New Delhi, on 18 January, 2010, while the 22nd round was held in New Delhi, on 11 October 2010. Annual Foreign Office2 Consultations are held at the level of Foreign Secretaries of the two countries. The last Consultations took place in Paris on 6th May, 2011. A special Joint Working Group on Terrorism has been

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established for cooperation in the fight against terrorism. A High Level Committee for Defence at the level of Defence Secretaries, working through its three specialized sub-committees, deals with issues related to bilateral defence cooperation. The last meeting was held in Paris on 18 –19 November 2010. A Joint Committee for Economic and Technical Cooperationat the level of Ministers of Commerce, deals with issues related to commerce and trade. The last meeting was held in Paris, on 24-25 June 2010. Minister of Commerce and Industry led the Indian delegation.

The Indo-French CEOs Forum formed in 2009 was called upon to identify new avenues for cooperation and take initiatives to facilitate business links between both countries. The second meeting of the CEO’s Forum, held in Paris in June 2010 had focused on Energy, Water and Infrastructure, Green Growth, Education and fostering Joint Ventures for investment in third countries. Tasked to propose ways of strengthening bilateral economic and trade linkages in the field of clean energy and education, the Forum submitted their recommendations to Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh and President Sarkozy during the latter's visit to India in December 2010.

Indo French Trade & Investment

France is the 5th largest economy of the world and an important member of the G-8. Its technological strengths make it the leader in sectors such as aviation, space, food processing, transport, railways and agricultural research. However, France’s business interaction with India is not commensurate with its intrinsic economic capacity. France is ranked 5th in the list of India’s trading partners among EU countries (after the Germany, UK, Belgium, and Netherlands). While economic and commercial relations continued to remain below potential, the bilateral trade increased to Euro 7.03 bn in 2010, an increase of 31% over 2009. During President Sarkozy's visit to India, in December 2010, the goal of doubling bilateral trade over the period 2008-2012 was reiterated by the two leaders.

Major items of French exports comprise electrical equipment, aeronautical & space construction products, measuring & control equipments, iron & steel products, equipment for emission and transmission of sound & image, mechanical equipments, organic and other chemical products, general & special usage machines, equipment for reception & recording of sound & image, machine tools, engines and turbines etc.

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Indian exports comprise a range of goods and services from the small and medium sector. Refined petroleum products, garments, textiles and apparel, accessories, leather clothes & footwear etc. constitute a major share of India's exports to France. Imports of refined petroleum products, auto equipment, fish and fish products and gems & jewellery and organic chemicals have been increasing.

Investment: France is the 9th largest foreign investor in India. [Investment was of the order of US $ 2.78 bn during the period April 2000 – April 2011 which represents 2% of total inflows]. The number of technical and financial collaborations approved with France is 952. During the year 2010, there was a substantial development of cross-3investments between the two countries with investments by French companies in the car industry, building materials, electrical equipment, public water utilities and rail transport. Indian companies also expanded their presences in France with investments in IT, pharmaceuticals, metallurgy etc. Cumulative French investment in India at the end of 2010 is estimated at Euro 2.75 billion while the Indian investment in France is estimated at around $1 billion. Indian companies have created or maintained more than 8000 jobs in France. However, French firms have in 2010 recorded intent of investing Euro 10 billion in the next couple of years.

Indo-French dialogue on economic and technical issues is conducted through Joint Working Groups on IT & Telecom, Roads, Environment, Urban Development & Urban Transportation and Agriculture. Bilateral Air Services Talks were held, on 10-11 February 2010, in Paris and three MOUs on the Bilateral Air Services Agreement were signed on the occasion.

Civilian Nuclear Energy Cooperation: A landmark Agreement on Civil Nuclear Cooperation between India and France was signed during the visit to France of PM Dr. Manmohan Singh on 30 September, 2008. This has resulted in collaboration in many related areas and both countries have concluded a number of agreements.During President Sarkozy's visit to India in December 2010, a General Framework Agreement and an Early Works Agreement were signed between NPCIL and AREVA.

Civilian Space Cooperation: France and India view each other as important partners in space technology and applications. Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and its French counterpart Centre National de Etudes Spatiales (CNES) have a rich legacy of cooperation and collaboration spanning

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about four decades. ISRO and CNES hold annual bilateral meetings. The last meeting was held in Bangalore in July 2010. Scientific community of these two nations cooperates in joint radiation experiment, space components development and space education.

Arianespace provides launch facilities for Indian Satellites (INSAT), while India’s PSLV has been used to launch satellites for European customers. During President Sarkozy's December 2010 visit to India, an MOU has been signed between the French Space Agency, Centre National de Etudes Spatiales (CNES) and the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) on future areas of co-operation in Earth Observation for climate change and space exploration.

On 12th October 2011, the jointly developed Megha-Tropiques Earth observation satellite by ISRO and CNES was successfully launched from Sriharikota. This satellite will yield scientific data of relevance to global concerns related to climate change and will be very important for understanding the monsoon dynamics and its forecasting.

French Parliamentary Group on Space (GPE) visited ISRO Headquarters on March 31, 2011 and interacted with ISRO community to understand Indian Space programme and its linkage with the parliament and general public.

Defence Cooperation: Defence cooperation with France is a key aspect of our overall bilateral relationship. The High Level Committee on Defence Cooperation held its 13th session in Paris on 18-19 November 2010 and reviewed bilateral ties covering strategic perceptions, collaboration in R&D and procurement issues. Under 4the framework of the structured talks on Indo-French Defence Cooperation several meetings on industrial collaboration and service exchanges are held regularly.

Indo-French Air Force Exercise Garuda IV was held at Istres air base in France from 14 - 25 June 2010 with participation of SU MKI aircraft from India. Indo - French Naval Exercise, Varuna was held in the Indian Ocean from 07 – 14 January 2011.

The French Chief of Defence Staff, Admiral Edouard Guillaud visited India from 15 to 20 October 2010 while the French Army Chief, General Elrick Irastorza visited India from 31 January to 02 February 2011. Mr. Laurent Collet-Billon, Head of the French DGA (Delegate General for Armaments) and

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General Jean-Paul Palomeros, the French Air Force Chief, participated in Aero India 2011 at Bangalore from 09 February to 13 February 2011.

The French Minister of Defence, Mr. Gérard Longuet visited India from 25 to 27 May 2011. During his visit, the French Defence Minister met Shri A K Antony, Hon’ble Raksha Mantri and other senior Defence officials. Shri MM Pallam Raju, Hon’’ble Raksha Rajya Mantri led an MoD delegation for the 49th Paris Air Show from 19 to 23 June 2011.

Cultural Exchanges: Indian culture enjoys a wide and discerning audience among the French population, as is evident in the numerous and frequent cultural events organised all over France, spanning the entire diversity of Indian art, music, dance and literature. The Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) sponsors visits of Indian artists to France as also exchange of students in the field of culture and art. A significant number of Indian artists also perform in France on a commercial basis or at the initiative of the various local cultural associations outside the purview of the official exchanges. Popular Indian cinema is finding new appreciation in France. Indian Film Festivals are organised round the year in different parts of France. India has now acquired a property in Paris to establish a centre for cultural activities under the Embassy of India in Paris.

In accordance with a Memorandum of Understanding signed between ICCR and the French Foreign Ministry in November 2009 on organizing cultural festivals in each other’s countries and in response to a three-month French Cultural Festival "Bonjour India” held in India from Nov. 2009, an Indian cultural festival, "Namaste France" was launched in France on 14 April, 2010 and closed on 28 June, 2011. President ICCR, Dr. Karan Singh inaugurated the event on 14th April. The Festival featured events covering the entire diversity of Indian culture including art, music, dance, fashion, tourism, films, and literature as also business and education. The news channel France 24 was launched in India. An agreement on Film Co-Production was signed on the occasion of the visit of the French President to India in December 2010, which will inspire India-France joint co-operation projects in the film industry.

Educational and Technical Cooperation: Bilateral cooperation in the fields of higher education, research, and S&T cooperation is vibrant and intensifying within the governmental framework as well as outside it and is being encouraged through the India-France educational exchange programme, the

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Indo-French Consortium of Universities, through scholarships, ICCR Chairs in Sanskrit/Indian Economy in France and social sciences research programmes. During the visit of President Sarkozy to India last year in December, bilateral relations in the field of education 5were further strengthened with the signing of MoUs between Indian Institute of Technology ( Khargpur, Bombay, Chennai, Kanpur, Delhi, Guwahati and Roorkee)and Paris Tech- a consortium of Grand Ecoles, and another between IIT- Bombay and Group des Ecole des Mines as well Institut Telecom to foster academic/scientific collaboration through faculty/researcher exchange and joint research programmes. An MoU on Indo-French collaboration in establishing an Indian Institute of Technology in Rajasthan is being finalized.

The number and scope of MoUs being signed between prestigious Indian and French university and private institutions has crossed the 300 mark in several disciplines including new ones (heritage conservation, digital archiving etc) for students and faculty exchange. An MoU had been signed during the visit of President Sarkozy between President Grenoble 3 - University and IGNOU for promoting the study of French language last December. A number of scholarships are being offered by the French government to Indian students for studying French language, S&T, IT, Hotel Management, Public Administration, Fine Arts, Mass Communication, etc and the number of Indian students studying in France has gone up to 2200. The French authorities have provided land for extending the Maison de L‘Inde, which will contribute to substantially enhancing accommodation facilities for Indian students in France.

Indians and Indian-origin persons in France: The Indian community including NRIs in France is estimated to be around 70,000, largely originating from Pondicherry, Karaikal, Yanam, Mahe and Chandranagar. There are also large communities of PIOs in the Reunion Island (about 230,000), Guadeloupe (about 57000), Martinique (about 5000) and St. Martin (about 3600-French and Dutch sides), the overseas territories/departments of France.

Multilateral: During the visit of President Sarkozy to India in December 2010, both Governments reiterated the need for in-depth reform of the United Nations, including of its Security Council, to make it more representative of the 21stCentury. France reaffirmed its support for India to become a permanent member of an expanded Security Council without further delay. On its part, India committed to working together with France in the G20. In respect of multilateral trade, the two countries looked forward to an ambitious,

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comprehensive and balanced conclusion of the Doha Development Round of Negotiations in 2011. The two countries called for renewed efforts to achieve the mutually beneficial conclusion of the EU-India Broad-based Trade and Investment Agreement.

INDO-FRENCH ECONOMIC AND COMMERCIAL RELATIONS

The economic and commercial linkages are an important component of India’s bilateral relations with France.

Bilateral Trade

France is ranked 5th in the list of India’s trading partners among EU countries (after the UK, Belgium, Germany and Italy). Indo-French bilateral trade has been growing over the years. In 2010, the Indo-French trade increased by 30.83% compared to 2009 (from € 5.37 billion to €7.02 billion).

Indo-French trade in the last 10 years is as follows (figures in million Euros):

Year Indian Exports to France

French Exports to India

Total Trade

Balance of Trade for India

%age of increase / decrease

2000 1441 938 2379 +503 +18.18%2001 1497 1018 2515 +477 +5.71%2002 1471 1000 2471 +471 -1.74%2003 1484 1002 2486 +480 +0.60%2004 1684 1296 2980 +388 +19.87%2005 2109 1838 3947 +271 +32.44%2006 2499 2635 5134 -136 +30.07%2007 2784 3351 6135 -567 +19.49%2008 3461 3327 6787 +131 +10.62%2009 2911 2460 5371 +447 -20.86%2010 4127 2900 7027 +1227 +30.83%2011(jan-nov)

4389 2481 6870 +1908 +6.04%

Source: Le Chiffre du Commerce extérieur (Foreign Trade Statistics), French Ministry of Economy, Finance & Industry

During President Sarkozy’s visit to India in January 2008, it was decided to double the two way trade by 2012 to € 12 billion. This was reiterated during PM

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Dr. Manmohan Singh’s visit to France in September 2008 and again during President Sarkozy’s visit to India in December 2010. Considerable effort will be required on both sides to increase two way trade to achieve this target through enhancement and diversification of the trade basket and encouragement to investments. During President Sarkozy’s visit in December 2010, a number of commercial agreements worth USD 20 billion were signed.

The top commodities of Indian exports to France during the last twelve month period (Dec.2010-Nov.2011) are:

Refined petroleum products Underwear & other wearing apparel & accessories Apparel & accessories Basic organic chemicals Footwear Textile articles Edible oils & fats Automobile equipment Garment & accessories Pumps & compressors

The top commodities of Indian imports from France during the last twelve month period (Dec. 2010-Nov. 2011) are:

Aircraft & spacecraft Instruments and appliances for measuring, checking & testing Motors & turbines Electrical equipment & apparatus Steel & iron alloy products Basic organic chemicals Pharmaceutical, medicinal, chemical & botanical products Non-dangerous waste Chemical products Electrical material

Investments

Indian investments: In 2010, India was the 14thlargest investor in France. There are about 80 Indian companies in France and have invested in IT, pharmaceuticals, plastic industry, auto parts, etc. They are employing over

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8,000 persons. Cumulative Indian investments have been around USD 1 billion since April 1996.

French investments: There are about 800 French companies in India. France is the 9th largest foreign investor in India with cumulative investment of approximately USD 2.5 billion. The number of technical and financial collaborations approved with France is 952. Major French investments are planned in the energy, automobile, aerospace, food processing and other sectors by 2013.

Bilateral Economic Agreements

India and France signed a Bilateral Investment Protection Agreement (BIPA -www.finmin.nic.in/bipa/France.pdf) in 2000 and an Avoidance of Double Taxation Agreement was signed in 1992. An MOU on Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) was signed in July 2006. An Agreement on Social Security exemption was signed during the Indian PM’s visit to Paris in September 2008. The Social Security Agreement has come into force w.e.f. 1st July, 2011.

The Indo-French Joint Committee for Economic and Technical Cooperation was set up in 1976 through an Agreement. Meetings are held at Ministerial level alternately in Delhi and Paris. Several Joint Working Groups at the senior officials level have been constituted under the Joint Committee through MOUs to deal with specific aspects of economic cooperation. The Joint Working Groups are on Urban Development, Roads, Agriculture, IT, Energy, Coal, Mineral Exploration & Development, Posts, Telecommunications, Railways and Environment. The 15th Session of the Indo-French Joint Committee on Economic & Technical Cooperation was held in September 2008 at Delhi and the 16th Session of the Joint Committee Meeting was held in Paris on 24th & 25th June 2010.

India-France CEO’s Forum: During the Indian PM’s visit to Paris in September 2008, it was decided to set up an India-France CEOs Forum to be co-chaired by Mr. Narayana Murthy, Chief Mentor of Infosys and Mr. Bertrand Collomb, former President of Lafarge. The first meeting of the Forum was held in New Delhi on 28-29 November 2009 and the Forum has been holding regular meetings. The CEO’s Forum is discussing ways and means of enhancing bilateral cooperation and increasing two way business and investments.

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Small & Medium Enterprises (SMEs): Both India and France are encouraging SMEs. FICCI, ESC and other Indian trade promotion organisations such as NASSCOM, CAPEXIL and AEPC have led delegations comprising mainly SMEs to encourage SMEs of both countries to do business and work with each other in developing new technologies and enhancing bilateral trade.

Bilateral economic and commercial ties have been encouraged by leaders in both countries and a large number of visits have taken place in the last five years. These visits in the commercial and economic field are reflective of the importance given by both governments to expanding trade ties.

Education, Research and Training

Indo - French Bilateral Educational Cooperation

Bilateral cooperation in the field of education and research has been institutionalized through a MoU on an Indo-French Educational Exchange Programme (IFEEP) signed in 2007 which is monitored through a Joint Working Group (JWG) between the Ministry of Human Resource Development( www.education.nic.in/ ) in India and the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs( www.diplomatie.gouv.fr ) . The current status of this collaboration is vibrant and with a growing desire to intensify it both within the governmental framework and outside it, among Universities and academic institutions. The last meeting of the JWG was held in Paris (March 2009) when discussions were held on addressing the issue of mutual recognition of degrees, bolstering the research programmes, the Indo-French cyber university and student scholar research mobility through a flexible visa regime.

Separately an MoU on Indo-French Consortium of Universities (IFCU)( www.ujf-grenoble.fr ) which was signed in January 2008 between the Association of Indian Universities and its French counterparts the French Conference des Presidents des Universités ( www.cpu.fr ) and the Conference des Ecoles d’Ingenieurs ( www.cdefi.fr) ( has aimed at promoting student and faculty movement between India and France. So far eight academic cooperation programmes have been set up under the supervision of the IFCU. These include:

(a) UJF Grenoble ( www.ujf-grenoble.fr ) – Delhi University:( ( www.du.ac.in ) Master’s degree in nuclear engineering, Master’s in Nanosciences and nanotechnologies

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(b) UJF Grenoble – Anne University Chennai ( www.annauniv.edu ) : Master’s in nanosciences and nanotechnologies

(c) UJF Grenoble – IISC Bangalore( www.iisc.ernet.in ) : International Master’s in computer sciences

(d) Paris (Paris Tech Universite Paris Sud ( www.paristech.fr ) , Centrale-Supelec( www.supelec.fr ) , INSTN ( www-instn.cea.fr ) – Delhi University: dual master’s degree in nuclear energy

(e) Ecole Polytechnique( www.polytechnique.edu ) – University of Kolkata( www.caluniv.ac.in ) : Agreement of cooperation in Nanosciences and nanotechnologies

(f) Ecole Polytechnique-IISC Bangalore: Agreement of coopeation in fluids mechanics

(g) GEM ( www.gemtech.fr ) -VIT Pune ( www.vit.edu )

During the year 2009-2010 fifteen scholarship were granted to members of the consortium. The French Embassy in India has separately earmarked forty scholarships for the IFCU ( www.ujf-grenoble.fr ).

One of the most important initiatives in the field of education has been the cooperation on the new IIT in Rajasthan( www.iitj.ac.in ) . Following the last visit (December 4-7, 2010) of President Sarkozy to India, a Letter of Intent was finalized for cooperation on IIT-R. Under this, a French Consortium comprising higher education & research institutes will send faculty members / experts / academicians / students for research or teaching for a period of at least half a semester to IIT-R. The French partners will contribute towards the establishment of five centres of excellence /research laboratories in priority fields like renewable energy, systems engineering, art, conservation and heritage at IIT-R.

An MoU between Indian Institute of Technology ( Khargpur ( www.iitkgp.ac.in ) , Bombay( www.iitb.ac.in ) , Chennai( www.iitm.ac.in ) , Kanpur ( www.iitk.ac.in ) , Delhi( www.iitd.ac.in ) , Guwahati ( www.iitg.ac.in ) and Roorkee ( www.iitr.ac.in ) ) and Paris Tech( www.paristech.fr ) - a consortium of Grand Ecoles, on faculty/student exchange and joint research was signed during the visit of President Sarkozy to India in December 2010. Another MoU between IIT- Bombay and Group des Ecole des Mines as well Institut Telecom(

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www.institut-telecom.fr ) was signed to foster academic/scientific collaboration through faculty/researcher exchange and joint research programmes.

Several other aspects of the bilateral cooperation are being actively promoted through the Indo-French Cultural Exchange Programme. The Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR)( www.iccrindia.net ) has instituted an India Chair of Sanskrit at Sorbonne University ( www.univ-paris3.fr ) , Paris.

An MoU was signed on 2ndMarch 2011 between Sciences Po ( www.sciencespo.fr ) and ICCR for the creation of ICCR Short Term Chair. Under this MoU the holder of the Chair would impart courses in Indian studies/Indian economy/Humanities & Social Sciences/Law at the undergraduate level and/or at the graduate level. The holder of the Chair would also deliver a public lecture called ‘Contemporary India Lecture Series’. The MoU would be in effect for a period of four terms beginning 2011 to 2015.

Joint research in the field of social sciences is being promoted by the Joint Advisory Council of the Maison de Science de l’Homme (MSH)( www.msh-paris.fr ) and UGC ( www.ugc.ac.in ) /ICCSR ( www.icssr.org ) /ICPR ( www.icpr.in ) / ICHR ( www.ichrindia.org ) who met in Paris in January 2010 to finalize joint research projects, seminars, workshops and exchange of specialists for 2010-2011.

A number of scholarships are being offered by the French government to Indian students for studying French language, S&T, IT, Hotel Management, Public Administration, Fine Arts, Mass Communication, etc. Some of the scholarships offered include

(a) DCNS-MEEA Scholarship ( www.diplomatie.gouv.fr ) - scholarship offered jointly by the French MFA, MEEA and the DCNS group for management and engineering students at Master’s level

(b) Thales MEEA scholarship ( www.diplomatie.gouv.fr/.../evaluation-du-programme-de-bourses ) offered by the French MFA, MEEA and the Thales group for management and engineering students at Master’s level

(c) Orange-MEEA (www.diplomatie.gouv.fr/...bourses/.../) scholarship offered by the French MFA, MEEA and the Orange group for engineering students at Master’s level

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(d) Krishnakriti foundation Hyderabad – French Embassy ( http://www.ambafrance-in.org ) for fine arts

(e) French Embassy – Neemrana foundation Hyderabad (http://www.ambinde.fr/en/education-and-technology/education-research-and-training) for music

(f) Eiffel scholarship offered by French MFA for engineering, management, political science and law for Master /doctoral level

(g) Ile-de-France scholarship ( www.iledefrance.fr/recherche.../ ) offered by the regional council of Paris Ile de France for Master’s programme.

(h) Scholarship programme of the French Embassy www.ambinde.fr/.../education-research-).

Indo -French education cooperation is also being promoted within the framework of the ARCUS programme.( www.u-psud.fr ) This cooperation involves between laboratories of the following institutes in Ile-de-France region with Indian scientific institutes. These include:

(a) University Paris-Sud11( www.u-psud.fr )

(b) Ecole Nationale Superieure at Cachan ( www.ens-cachan.fr )

(c) Ecole Nationale Superieure at Ulm ( www.ens.fr )

(d) University of Paris III,( www.univ-paris3.fr )

(e) University of Paris IV ( www.paris-sorbonne.fr )

(f) University of Paris X ( www.dauphine.fr )

Indian institute like TIFR Mumbai ( www.tifr.res.in ) , IISC Bangalore ( www.iisc.ernet.in ) , several IITs (Bombay ( www.iitb.ac.in ), Kharagpur ( www.iitkgp.ac.in )), major universities (JNU ( www.jnu.ac.in ) , Pondicherry ( www.pondiuni.edu.in ) and Pune ( www.unipune.ac.in ) as well as number of Indian centres for art and history are involved in this programme. The ARCUS programme which was launched in 2008 for a period of three years is financed jointly to the tune of 500,000 Euros by the Regional Council of Ile de France and the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Since the launching of the programme, collaboration has been launched in the following fields like health, mathematics and cultural heritage.

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The number and scope of MoUs being signed between prestigious Indian and French university and private institutions has crossed the 300 mark in several disciplines including new ones (heritage conservation, digital archiving etc) for students and faculty exchange. The French language tutor programme is being organized by French Embassy and is aimed to help Indian higher educational institutions to develop teaching of French language. An MoU has been signed during the visit of President Sarkozy between President of Grenoble 3 ( www.u-grenoble3.fr ) - University and IGNOU ( www.ignou.ac.in ) for promoting the study of French language.

A number of Indian students are studying in France in various fields. In the year 2009, 1945 Indian students came to France and in 2010 the number was about 2000. ‘Higher education in France’ fairs (1998-2007) and ‘EU higher education Fair’ (2008) have been periodically organised in India. The Campus France Agency ( www.campusfrance.org ) organised an Indo-French Education Fair Week from 4th to 10th December 2010. This was held in Bangalore, Hyderabad Chennai and Pune in which prominent French Educational Institute/Grand Ecole like SciencesPo, Ecole Centrale Paris ( www.ecp.fr ) , Groupe des Ecoles des Mines ( www.gemtech.fr/ ) and HEC Paris ( www.hec.fr ) -ESCP Europe ( www.escpeurope.eu/fr ) participated.

To enhance people to people contact, France has imparted advance training (Grenoble/Paris June 2009) to Indian sportsmen to improve competitive skills for CWG. Several other events (conference on renewable and sustainable development, launching of Indo-French alumni network ( www.ifan.in ) and series of lectures) were held as a part of Bonjour India and Bonjour Science festival in nearly 20 cities of Indian from Dec 2009 to Jan 2010.

The cooperation (2005-2011) between the Indian Institute of Public Administration (IIPA) ( www.iipm.edu ) and Ecole National d’Administration (ENA) ( www.ena.fr/ ) entails multi-faceted exchanges for establishing a centre of good governance at the IIPA, bilateral training programme to improve citizen friendly administration / e-governance / disaster management / decentralized decision making and increasing training courses for Indian administrators at ENA. French counterparts undertake study tours of administrative training institutes in India.

The Maison De L’Inde (India House)( www.maisondelinde.com ) a student hostel in the Cite Internationale Universitaire de Paris ( www.ciup.fr/ ) was

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established in 1967. The Governing Board is chaired by the Ambassador. The MDL with 110 rooms continues to serve as a home for Indian student / scholars / scientists seeking affordable accommodation in an intellectually stimulating campus in Paris. The GOI has decided to undertake the extension of MDL. Under the new extension programme a building housing additional rooms would be constructed by 2013 on land given by the French government.

Science & Technology

Indo – French Bilateral Cooperation in Science and Technology

Cooperation between India and France in the field of S&T is has been given special emphasis by both governments since the 1980s. The Indo-French Centre for promotion of Advance Research (CEFIPRA) is the nodal framework for promoting bilateral scientific cooperation in fundamental and applied research, frontier technologies and exchange of scientists and post doctoral researchers. The office of CEFIPRA ( www.cefipra.org) has been established in Delhi and the centre is currently funded through and annual corpus of Euro three million with India and France equally contributing Euro 1.5 million each. Over the years CEFIPRA has become the flagship for the promotion of Indo-French scientific cooperation.

The CEFIPRA is headed by Governing Board, Scientific Council and Industrial Research Committee. The next governing boarding meeting of CEFIPRA is scheduled to be held in New Delhi. Since its inception, a strong partnership has been established for collaboration in basic research between Indian and French scientists under CEPIPRA with 306 projects being completed and 67 ongoing projects. The collaboration has led to 1162 research publications in peer reviewed journals and generated 18 patents. A competitive funding mechanism has been established by CEFIPRA through rigorous peer review and selectivity criteria. 406 projects have been funded over the past twenty three years. Industrial research projects have also been taken up since 2002-2003. Two products and two patents have resulted from industrial research collaboration. CEFIPRA completes 25 years in 2012. It is proposed to celebrate the strong partnership established through CEFIPRA with events which will further build on and strengthen the partnership.

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Medical Research and Public Health

Cooperation in medical research is another important element of Indo-French scientific and technical collaboration, and is undertaken through close collaboration between Indian Council for Medical Research (ICMR)(), India ( icmrhqds@sansad.nic.in) and Institut Nationale de la Sante et de la Recherche Medicale (INSERM) ( www.inserm.fr ) , France which have a Joint Working Group to promote joint objectives. The 8th meeting of the JWG between ICMR and INSERM was held in Paris on June 21, 2010. Both sides reiterated the importance of collaboration. Seven projects were approved for 2011-2012. During the visit of President Sarkozy to India in December 2010, a Letter of Intent was signed between ICMR and INSERM for establishing an International Associated Laboratory (IAL) to be set up in 2011 in the field of catalytic antibodies.

Biotechnology, Water Technologies, Geological Sciences

Collaboration to develop better water technologies is underway through a variety of joint projects in the form of ‘Indo-French Cell on Water Sciences’ ( www.indofrenchcell.com ) at Bangalore, ‘Indo-French Centre for Ground Water Research’ ( ifcgr@ngri.res.in) at Hyderabad and ‘Indo-French Programme for Research on Weather & Climate’ ( www.nio.org ) at Goa. During the recent visit of French President Nicolas Sarkozy to India in December 2010 an MoU between Institut de Recherche Pour le Development (IRD)( www.ird.fr ) ,France and Indian Institute of Science ( www.iisc.ernet.in ) , Bangalore (India) was signed for setting up an international joint laboratory called the Indo French Cell for Water Sciences.

Since 2008, the Geological Survey of India( www.portal.gsi.gov.in ), and the Bureau de Recherches Geologiques at Minieres ( www.brgm.fr ) have expanded their cooperation on areas of geo-thermal energy, ground water resource management, sub-soil storage of CO2 and geological mapping. Combined research and training of scientists in the fields of biotechnology, bioinformatics, pharmacogenomics and agrarian research (ICAR) ( www.icar.org.in) is separately undertaken between the Department of Biotechnology and laboratories of the Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique (INRA)

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( www.inra.fr ) . A MoU for promoting collaboration in the area of teaching/research was also signed during the visit of French President to India between Institute of Chemical Technology ( www.iictindia.org ) ((India) and Groupe des Ecoles des Mines ( www.gemtech.fr ) (France).

Applied Sciences

Joint research is continuing through multi-disciplinary projects such as the Indo-French Cell on Water Sciences, Indo-French Cell on Bioprocess for Environment, Indo-French Centre for Organic Synthesis ( www.iisc.ernet.in ) , Indo-French unit on water and waste treatment, Indo-French research programme on weather and climate, Indo-French Laboratory of Solid State Chemistry( www.iisc.ernet.in ), Indo-French Institute of Mathematics ( www.math.iisc.ernet.in ) . Institute of Chemical Technology (ICT) and Group des Ecoles des Mines have also signed an MoU to promote students/faculty exchange and cooperation in joint research programme in areas of mutual interest.

Economic Relations

France holds approximately 1.7% of the market share in India, making it India’s 15th supplier and 11th customer.

After posting an unprecedented drop in 2009 (-21.2%), bilateral trade between France and India recovered clearly in 2010. It is possible to predict trade volume of €10b at the end of 2012, with the resumption of aeronautical exports, in particular. If it is reached without excessive delays, the free trade agreement between the EU and India might have its first effects starting in 2015.

Today, more than 300 French companies are established in India, employing over 40,000 people. France is the seventh-biggest foreign investor in India (total of approximately USD 750 million).

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Indian Exports to France

The Indian Exports to France is facilitated through the common forum of India and France chamber of commerce and industry. The Federation of Indian Chambers and Commerce or FICCI and UBIFRANCE - the agency for international business development, under the Ministry of Economy, Finance and Industry, France are the prime facilitators of trade and business amongst each other. FICCI and UBIFRANCE are two individual representative for India and France respectively. FICCI and UBIFRANCE are the respective individual representative of their countries, representing trade and business community of each other. Further, Indian Exports to France aims at facilitating better India and European Union trading relation.

India and France Trading Relations is focused on, for the improvement of trade and business relations on the following lines -

India and France Trading Policies. India and France Trading Procedures. India and France Trade Contracts. India and France Trade Administrative and Regulatory procedures. India and France Trade and Investment opportunities. India and France Business networking.

Indian Exports to France grew by 20% in 2003-04, then increased to US $ 1289.80 million ($ 1.2 billion) as against $ 1074.09 million ($ 1 billion) in 2002-03. India's exports to France stood at $ 1289.80 million in 2003-04, but India's share in France's global imports is only 0.45%.

Indian Exports to France - major commodities are -

Information technology based services, Agricultural products, Fisheries products,

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Ready-made garments, Cotton, Cotton accessories, Cotton yarn, Cotton fabric, Petroleum products, Man-made fibers for ready made garments, Transport equipments.

Indian Exports to France like fabric and yarn for textiles has registered tremendous growth. The annual growth have risen from $18 million in 1962-1971 to $63 million in 1982-1991. Exports of clothing to France have grown from annual average below $3 million in 1962-1971 to $108 million in 1982-1991.Further, Indian Exports to France also includes commodities like -

Leather goods, Crude matter, Polished diamonds, Animal feed, Petroleum products, Indian whiskey.

The latest hot commodity from India which has got ready and tremendous wide-spread acceptance in France is Indian Agricultural products and Indian fisheries products. The Indian Food-processing sector produces around 50 million tons of fruits and 90 million tons of vegetables. But inadequate food processing infrastructure in India could only process 6% of the perishable products available in India. Thus, the Indian Government has proposed to export a substantial portion of Indian Agricultural products and Indian fisheries products to France, in absence of proper food processing infrastructure in India. The great demand for Indian vegetables, fruits and flowers has got ready acceptance from the trade and business community of France. Although,the Indian Agribusiness and Food Processing Sector aims to increase the percentage of processed food available in India and to meet export demand by 20% over the next ten years, but still it is inadequate. A huge future demand for processed food is an absolute realty with changing socio-economic situations across the

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world especially in the developed countries like France. The Processed food sector in France offers tremendous scope for India.

Furthermore, the growing Indian Exports to France has facilitated wide-spread acclamation and acceptance throughout the European union. France's economic prowess and business leadership was exploited for entering into European market through different trade agreements France had entered into with its European business partners, benefiting both India and France.

Indian Merchandise Exports to France

The Indian Merchandise Exports to France is facilitated through the common forum of India and France chamber of commerce and industry. The Federation of Indian Chambers and Commerce or FICCIand UBIFRANCE - the agency for international business development, under the Ministry of Economy, Finance and Industry, France are the prime facilitators of trade and business amongst each other. FICCI and UBIFRANCE are the respective representative of their countries, representing trade and business community of each other. Further, Indian Merchandise Exports to France aims at facilitating better India and European Union trading relation.

Indian Merchandise Exports to France like fabric and yarn for textiles have registered stupendous growth. The yearly growth have risen from $18 million in 1962-1971 to $63 million in 1982-1991. Exports of clothing to France have grown from $3 million in 1962-1971 to $108 million in 1982-1991.Indian Merchandise Exports to France grew by 20% in 2003-04, then increased to US $ 1289.80 million ($ 1.2 billion) as against $ 1074.09 million ($ 1 billion) in 2002-03. Indian Merchandise Exports to France stood at $ 1289.80 million in 2003-04.

Major Indian Merchandise Exports to France are -

Cotton Cotton accessories Cotton yarn Cotton fabric Ready-made garments Agricultural products

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Fisheries products Petroleum products Man-made fibers for ready made garments Transport equipments Leather goods Polished diamonds Indian whiskey Animal feed

The latest Indian commodities which got tremendous wide-spread acceptance in France are Indian Agricultural products and Indian fisheries products. The Indian Food-processing sector produces around 50 million tons of fruits and 90 million tons of vegetables. But inadequate food processing infrastructure in India could only process 6% of the perishable products available in India. Thus, the Indian Government has proposed to export a substantial portion of Indian Agricultural products and Indian fisheries products to France, in absence of proper food processing infrastructure in India. The great demand for Indian vegetables, fruits, and flowers has got ready acceptance from the trade and business community of France. A huge future demand for processed food is an absolute realty with changing socio-economic situations across the world especially in the developed countries like France. The Processed food sector in France offers tremendous scope for India.

Indian Agro Exports to France

The Indian Agro Exports to France is channelized through the common trade and business platform of India and France chamber of commerce and industry. The Federation of Indian Chambers and Commerce or FICCI and UBIFRANCE - the body for international business development, under the Ministry of Economy, Finance and Industry, France are the prime facilitators of trade and business amongst each other. FICCI and UBIFRANCE are two individual representative for India and France respectively. FICCI and UBIFRANCE are the respective representative of their countries, representing trade and business community of each other.

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Indian Agro Exports to France is based and focused on, for the improvement of trade and business relations on the following lines -

India and France Trading Policies India and France Trading Procedures India and France Trade Contracts India and France Trade Administrative and Regulatory procedures India and France Trade and Investment opportunities India and France Business networking

Indian Agro Exports to France like fabric and yarn for textiles has registered tremendous growth. The annual growth have risen from $18 million in 1962-1971 to $63 million in 1982-1991. Exports of clothing to France have grown from annual average below $3 million in 1962-1971 to $108 million in 1982-1991.

Indian Agro Exports to France - major commodities are:

Agricultural products Fresh Fruits and dried fruits Fruit juices and concentrates Vegetables Oilseeds Vegetable oils and fats Edible nuts Sugar and honey Grains and Pulses Wheat Rice Tea Coffee Spices and herbs Tobacco Leather garments and goods Handicrafts Agro-chemicals

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Castor oil Carpets Cashew Fisheries products Ready-made garments Cotton Cotton accessories Cotton yarn Cotton fabric Man-made fibers for ready made garments Leather goods Crude matter Animal feed

Indian commodities which got tremendous wide-spread acceptance in France are Indian Agricultural products, Indian fisheries products and Indian Organic food products. The Indian Food-processing sector produces around 50 million tons of fruits and 90 million tons of vegetables. But inadequate food processing infrastructure in India could only process 6% of the perishable products. Thus, it has been proposed by the Indian Government to export a substantial portion of Indian Agricultural products, Indian Organic food products and Indian fisheries products to France, in absence of proper food processing infrastructure in India. Due to the great demand for Indian organic food products, vegetables, fruits and flowers has got ready acceptance from the trade and business community of France. Thus, Agro food sector in France offers tremendous scope for Indian Agro exports industry.

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Indian IT Exports to France

The Indian IT Exports to France is facilitated by Indo French Chamber of Commerce and Industry (IFCCI) - a common forum of India and France business and trading communities. The Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) through National Association for Software and Service Companies (NASSCOM) and UBIFRANCE - the agency for international business development, under the Ministry of Economy, Finance and Industry, France are the two representatives at the forum.

IFCCI's objective is to facilitate Indian IT Exports to France along with other trade and business. Indo French Chamber of Commerce and Industry aims at facilitating Indian IT Exports to France along with promoting better India and European Union trading relations. Further, their common goal is to double the trade between India and France within next five years.

US and UK have been tapped to a small extent of just around 4% of their individual market sizes. Non-English speaking countries in Europe are still largely unexplored by Indian IT companies. This market alone offers the Indian IT Industry over $5-6 billion in export potential. France has the potential to emerge as a high-growth market for Indian IT companies in the next 2-3 years. The main advantages that France sees in Indian IT products and services are -

Quality software products at much lower rate Quality services at affordable price

The Indian IT Exports to France caters two types of basic IT services:

Software development Application outsourcing

With growing numbers of the IT off-shoring jobs coming to India, its subsequent consolidation of off-shoring models will become more popular. The fast growing Indian IT industry is expected to exploit new IT services in France, such as -

Software development, support and installation Consulting Networking and network infrastructure management

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Systems integration Training and Education Hardware support and Installation services Network consulting and network integration

Indian IT industry revenue growth is pegged at 24-27% in the current financial year. India MNC giants like Tata Consultancy Services, Wipro, and Infosys still lead the race and has been ranked as the top three IT services exporters from India. The Indian IT services sector continues to be the largest employer in India and will continue to be so in the near future. The Indian IT industry's contribution to the Indian GDP was 5.2%. The Indian IT industry has recorded revenue to the quantum of $US 39.6 billion in financial 2006-2007. Challenges in terms of awareness, culture, regulatory environment, and language barriers are some of the bottlenecks that Indian companies need to negotiate.

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BIBLIOGRAPHY

www.ambinde.fr

www.ambe-inde.fr

www.ambafrance-in.org

www.business.mapsofindia.com

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