Post-Brexit, many firms from Tamil Nadu are going to look at France: French Ambassador to India

Ambassador of France to India Emmanuel Lenain was in Chennai on Monday and Tuesday, when he referred to as on Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami and held talks aimed at contributing to the State’s growth objectives within the areas of trade, R&D and renewable vitality. Mr. Lenain additionally visited The Puucho workplace on Tuesday, the place he interacted with journalists of the newspaper. In an interview, he elaborates on his go to to Tamil Nadu, and his views on the influence of COVID-19 and its geopolitical implications.

What are the objectives of your present go to to Tamil Nadu?

It is my second go to to Tamil Nadu as a result of cooperation with Tamil Nadu is essential for France. We have a wealthy historical past with Puducherry and with Tamil Nadu, going again centuries. We have a powerful respect for the Tamil tradition. We have vital enterprise pursuits in Tamil Nadu. It is a prime hub for French industrial funding in India.

My aim right here is to develop this partnership, transfer ahead quicker and to make issues simpler, to have extra enterprise going between Tamil Nadu and France, to have extra human exchanges additionally and extra college students from Tamil Nadu coming to French universities and schools. They are very welcome. Pre-COVID-19, we had a document of 10,000 college students from India coming to France in 2019. I’m assured that as of subsequent yr, we’ll get better that degree. We are going to do every thing it takes. I hope {that a} vital a part of the scholars will come from Tamil Nadu as a result of I knew that the schools and the universities right here are very wonderful. It is my honest want that we get many extra college students from Tamil Nadu coming to France to research.

What is the scenario of French financial presence in Tamil Nadu and are there new French enterprise initiatives deliberate on this area?

The French corporations established in Tamil Nadu are having fun with an incredible enterprise setting. I visited an organization like Air Liquide, which is a world chief, and has chosen Tamil Nadu to set up a sophisticated medical techniques facility. I’m assured that we are going to have some new French funding in Chennai both in manufacturing or R&D.

The final time I used to be right here, I visited the IIT and noticed an organization like Saint Gobain, which has an incredible R&D centre. I’m positive it’s going to give concepts and inspiration to different corporations. A complete variety of 140 French corporations have funding or a manufacturing facility in Tamil Nadu proper now.

So how can companies from Tamil Nadu attain markets and purchasers in France? What makes France a sexy vacation spot for Tamil Nadu buyers?

I believe they might do very properly. They are very welcome! Indeed, one other goal of my go to was to introduce the reforms that are being carried out in France. In France proper now, you might have essentially the most pro-business authorities since years. Since he was elected, President Emmanuel Macron has mentioned he wished France to be essentially the most aggressive nation in Europe. I have to say that the outcomes are there. Last yr, France was the Number One vacation spot in continental Europe for attracting investments.

I’m positive that within the post-Brexit context, many corporations from India and from Tamil Nadu are going to look at France, given the state of the financial system, given the standard of schooling and the geography. It is the very best platform you possibly can have to entry the European market and even the market in Africa, which is essential to India.

COVID-19, like in India, has had a deep impact on the financial system. But France has launched a large stimulus plan to help the financial system, which quantities to 10% of the GDP and it’ll assist quite a bit. I’m assured, and we are properly organised to help Indian buyers, who need to spend money on France.

The pandemic has re-focused consideration on essential questions relating to well being and the setting – do you assume cooperative efforts between France and Tamil Nadu will help reply a few of these?

Firstly, I have to say that there was a large assist from India to France and from France to India. We are very grateful. When we had our first COVID-19 peak in France, Indian authorities authorised the export of medical medicine that had been direly wanted for French hospitals. President Macron then determined to reciprocate and to ship ventilators, testing kits and safety masks and medical medical doctors from the Army service. They arrived in July to help India when it was the primary massive peak in India. So, country-to-country solidarity has been intensely lively.

Regarding Tamil Nadu and personal corporations, the French corporations in Tamil Nadu had been exemplary. Internally, they retained their workforce. They didn’t reduce their salaries. Some of them reorganised their manufacturing to find a way to produce tools for Indian hospitals.

Yesterday I went to see Air Liquide Medical Systems. On-site, they manufactured ventilators, which had been tailored to the necessity of the Indian hospitals. They ramped up their efforts and produced greater than 1,000 ventilators. That is one good instance. Another good instance is an organization like Renault, the automotive producer. They switched the meeting strains to find a way to produce ventilators. Many of the businesses had been spectacular and confirmed solidarity.

You talked about Brexit earlier and a lot has occurred this yr even by way of the commerce conflict between the U.S. and China and the U.S. election. How does France see itself by way of funding and progress, participating with a rustic like India on this new and altering world local weather?

One of the teachings that every one governments drew from the COVID disaster is the necessity for strategic autonomy on sure important manufacturing capability; that you just can’t rely solely on sure nations. It is true for sure medical merchandise. Where will we go so far as France is worried, as Europe is worried?

It is just not autarky. We are not going to deliver again each provide chain from different locations to Europe. That is just not real looking. What is going to occur? There shall be some manufacturing capacities that we are going to deliver again to Europe as a result of they are wanted for sovereignty. And corporations are going to localise in pleasant and dependable nations. India is at the highest of the checklist. When you are investing for 10, 20 or 30 years, you need to make sure that of the associate you select.

With India, we share the identical democratic values, we’ve got related strategic pursuits, and we’ve got a long-standing partnership. We have had a strategic partnership for many years, and we knew that every time one of many nations went by tough instances, we stood side-by-side.

When India carried out a nuclear check in Pokhran, many nations blamed and even sanctioned India. France didn’t do this, we stood by India. Kargil was one other instance of solidarity in attempting instances. That is what I imply by being dependable mates. And that additionally applies to very important provide chains within the post-pandemic world, we all know we will belief one another.

Speaking of the strategic cooperation, the Rafale deal has moved ahead however I believe the complete supply of plane is anticipated solely by 2022. Has the pandemic led to any delays, probably? Do we see that schedule being shifted?

As per the contract, all 36 plane shall be delivered by 2022. I’m very proud to say that, though France additionally had a lockdown within the spring 2020 and factories closed for some time, our defence industries have doubled efforts; they’ve labored further shifts and in a single day or weekends to find a way to ship and to provide the Rafale jets on time. Everything was accomplished exactly on schedule regardless of COVID-19. It is an enormous matter of pleasure. Right now, 15 Rafale have been delivered to India.

According to the contract, they are delivered in France, in Mérignac, the place they are produced. Then it’s up to India to resolve on how lengthy they preserve the jets in Mérignac, the place they will practice the pilots and the technicians. Then, India decides when it desires to ferry the jets to India. Right now, eight of them have been ferried to India. We have been completely on track and it appears that evidently the Indian Air Force is absolutely glad with jets and the pilots are doing an incredible job.

When I used to be mentioning the excellent relations between the 2 nations, I can inform that Ministers and authorities officers on each side have contacts on each different day to alternate. Yesterday, Prime Minister Modi and President Macron spoke on the telephone, they usually had an excellent dialog, like shut companions, discussing world points, together with the UN.

Because India is going to be a part of the UN Security Council [after being elected as a non-permanent member for a two-year term starting January 2021] and we are very pleased about that and look ahead to working collectively very intently. [They discussed] how we will combat COVID-19, how we offer entry to vaccination for our nations, how to increase our strategic partnership and the way to deepen our bilateral cooperation in defence and civilian nuclear vitality. These ongoing discussions are primarily based on distinctive mutual belief.