Union Minister of Commerce and Industry, Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, and Textiles, Shri Piyush Goyal said that France and India have truly been friends, partners and vibrant democracies working for global good during his address at the India-France Business Summit in Paris, France today.He said that H. E. Emmanuel Macron, President of the French Republic and Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi have strengthened the strategic partnership between the two countries which has completed 25 years now. The Minister said that both the leaders have taken India-France ties to the next level with expanded engagement in trade, technology, tourism and investment. He noted that the friendship between the leaders and the people of both the countries is a force multiplier for global good.The Minister said that India and France are concerned for stable global economic order and both believe in consensus and cooperation both at regional and global level. He said that the business leaders from both countries and the Indian community in France have further strengthened this bond of friendship and trust between India and France through their relentless efforts to grow the trade and economic partnership.He appreciated that the industry leaders from various areas of manufacturing and services sector from India attended the Business Summit. The Minister said that the industry leaders from India will share their experiences of working and growing in an economy which is growing rapidly, expanding both in the domestic and international sphere.The Minister said that India’s potential over the next 25 years has been termed as the Amrit Kaal or the golden era of India by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi. He said that there is a huge delta of opportunities which has never been seen in global economic history in India now. He cited the example of India’s demographic dividend with significant managerial and technological skills and immense talentpool.The Minister said that the basic needs of Indian citizens have been taken care of in the last 9 years and that has led to an empowered nation brimming with aspirations. He said that seamless digital connectivity has aided this process and now India offers a huge opportunity to businesses around the world. He said that India offers Scale, Speed and Skills to the world.The Minister said that India is rapidly expanding its international engagement and the goods and services exports over the last 2 years have grown significantly. He said the increase in exports is expected to continue on its high growth trajectory. He also said that India has an infrastructure pipeline to strengthen logistics in the country. He said that India is attracting investment and technology in the defence sector from around the world as indigenous manufacturing is being promoted.He said that innovation and technology are driving growth in India with sustainability at the core. He said that the green economy is emerging as a massive thrust area for technology and investments. The Minister noted that in addition to this the government is also focussing on gender parity and gender equality in India.The Minister said that India and France will continue their dialogue at an accelerated pace with trade and investment expanding manifold to further aid the development journey. He quoted the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi and said that “When you associate with India’s growth journey, India gives you the guarantee of growth…”
