Visit of two Parliamentarians in Bangalore

Mr Eric Woerth & Mr. Paul Giacobbi

Two members of the French National Assembly, Mr Eric WOERTH, former Minister of Budget, Public Accounts and Civil Service, and Paul GIACOBBI, visited Bangalore on 21st September 2011.

The objective of their visit was to assess the strengthening of Indo-French cooperation, especially in the economic and academic areas. They met French and Indian representatives from all spheres of life – business, arts, science, academics and politics – thus allowing them to share their views and wishes about the growing collaboration between our two countries in all fields, in purview of the objectives of the President of the Republic during his recent state visit to India.

This stay in Bangalore was the occasion to ride Bangalore’s metro line 1 of the city, which was inaugurated exactly a month later on 20th October 2011. Significant contribution from French companies such as Systra, Alstom Transport, Alstom Telecommunications and Thales were highlighted during this meeting.

The parliamentarians also visited the premier management school Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore (IIMB). Professor Pankaj Chandra, Director of the institute walked them around the campus emphasising on academic cooperation with 17 French Business Schools.

Mr Azim Premji, President of Wipro Technologies Ltd., met the two parliamentarians to give his perspective on the booming IT-BPO sector in India as well as his investment in France. This interaction underlined the economic dynamics between France and India.

The delegation was also received by the Director of the Alliance Française of Bangalore, Mr. Philippe Gasparini, with a host of eminent artists from theatre to cinema, from painting to sculpting. This rich Indian cultural panorama added the final hues to fulfilling day-long programme in the garden city of Bangalore.