Narendra Modi’s pragmatism reminds of Jean Monnet

My article Narendra Modi’s pragmatism reminds of Jean Monnet appeared in NitiCentral.

Here is the link...

On June 30, in presence of the Prime Minister, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) launched the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle-C23 with five foreign satellites. A few minutes after the launch, all the satellites were placed on perfect orbit around the Earth. The main payload was a 714 kg French Earth Observation Satellite named SPOT-7.
After witnessing the launch from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the scientists and dignitaries present.
His most striking announcement (to me at least) was the possibility of a South Asian satellite. Modi said: “I ask our Space community, to take up the challenge, of developing a SAARC Satellite - that can be dedicated to our neighbourhood, as a gift from India. A satellite, that provides a full range of applications and services, to all our neighbours. I also ask you, to enlarge the footprint of our satellite-based navigation system, to cover all of South Asia.”
Modi’s pragmatic view to jointly develop something with the other 7 SAARC States reminded me of Jean Monnet, the father of Europe. Western analysts often ask: when Europe has gone so far on the path to unity (and peace), why has the Indian subcontinent remained divided, unable to share its basic resources, with its borders practically closed?
One of the answers is that Europe had the fortune to have Jean Monnet who, with sheer will, vision and obstinacy, worked towards making Europe a concrete reality, with common institutions which helped reducing to nil the possibility of conflict between the nations/units.
Regrettably, Jean Monnet is not well known in India.
Though a modest man, Monnet is a real hero of his time.
In June 1940 already, Monnet made a revolutionary proposal. He proposed the unconceivable, a Union between France and UK with one flag, one parliament, one people. Though Churchill and de Gaulle were rather reticent at the beginning, finally the British and the French Cabinet accepted the proposal. Churchill, like de Gaulle, was conscious of the historic importance of the gesture and of the effect such a declaration could have on the morale of the occupied countries. Once the text was approved, de Gaulle called Paul Reynaud, the French Prime Minister who had established his government in Bordeaux. Reynaud asked him whether Churchill had approved the text. Churchill grabbed the telephone and said: “Hold on! De Gaulle is leaving now; he will bring you the text. Everything can change with this proposal. Let us meet tomorrow in Concarneau [in Brittany]”. De Gaulle left by plane. Monnet was about to get on a train when he learnt that the French Prime Minister had resigned and that the defeatists in France had won the day. Pétain had been chosen as the new Prime Minister.
History is made by bold moves; though this particular one did not materialize, soon after the end of the war, Monnet was to make an even more revolutionary one. Monnet always believed that nice words were not enough, men’s deeply-entrenched attitudes needed to be changed.
His main trait was to always remain down-to-earth, pragmatic …and persevere. Both Germany and France had to rebuild their industry; it was bound to revive their old rivalry. To reverse the trend – what has been the seed of the war had to become the seed of unity— Monnet proposed to create a High Authority which could manage the resources in coal and steel for both nations.
This was the birth of the European Coal and Steel Community, the first embryo of the European Economic Community (EEC). It came into existence in March 1957, with the Treaty of Rome creating the EEC and Euratom (for atomic energy). The Treaties of Maastricht (1992), Amsterdam (1997), Nice (2000) and Lisbon (2007) saw new steps towards unification. Today, 27 nations share a common future.
Herve Alphand, a French Ambassador to the US, who worked closely with both Monnet and de Gaulle, used to call Monnet and de Gaulle, ‘the Inspirer and the Connétable [the Chief]’. Though opposite in character, the two great men had no choice but to tolerate each other, to work together. And they did, perhaps because “both are disinterested and entirely moved by ideas and ideal. And both have an extraordinary courage and perseverance,” wrote Alphand.
The tragedy is that history only remembers de Gaulle and has forgotten Monnet (at least in Asia).
The bold move of Narendra Modi when he invited the SAARC heads of State for his investiture and now his proposal to join hands to built together a satellite (why not a satellite studying the pattern of South Asian monsoons and climate in the region?) make me think of Monnet.
Can Modi be a Monnet for South Asia?
Is there a possibility to use some of Monnet’s experience (one could say techniques) to built a common future for South Asia?
Only the future will tell us, but the groundwork done by Jean Monnet for Europe demonstrated that perseverance can do miracles. The intelligence of Monnet also lies in the fact that he managed to set up mechanisms and institutions which do not depend on present and future politicians to function.
Monnet realized that history goes in one direction only: towards a greater unification of the people of the world. New technological and communication discoveries shrink the planet every day to the size of a small hamlet, and international institutions may have to adapt themselves to follow the process, but the evolutionary movement goes into this direction. Europe has shown the way. The preamble of the Constitution made clear that it is ‘‘drawing inspiration from the cultural, religious and humanist inheritance of Europe”.
Could a similar process happen in the Indian subcontinent, which has a longer shared history and culture?
The EU Constitution also recalls “the historic importance of the ending of the division of the European continent and the need to create firm bases for the construction of the future Europe.”
Can a small project such a common satellite be a first step?
Why not? Monnet analyzed once the Israel-Arab conflict thus: “I saw the Middle East conflict on the point of breaking out again; yet the hostility between Israel and the Arabs seemed to me no more insuperable than that between France and Germany had been for more than seventy years. Franco-German enmity was now a thing of the past; and what had ended it was neither warfare nor diplomacy, but a method which changed men’s attitudes by transforming the very reasons for their rivalry. What divided people could still bring them together, anywhere in the world …I was convinced that the union of Europe was not only important for the European themselves: it was valuable as an example for others, and this was a further reason for bringing it about.”
The subcontinent today needs men with Vision and ‘Inspirers’.
Can Modi be at the same time, the Inspirer and the Connetable for South Asia?

France and India meet in Space

On the occasion of the launch of the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle-C (PLSV-C) 23 rocket carrying five foreign satellites, I repost an interview with the (now former) Chairman of the CNES, ISRO's French counterpart.
A few minutes after the launch PSLV-C23 rocket, five satellites were placed on orbit around Earth.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who had arrived at Sriharikota on the previous day, witnessed the rocket launch from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre.
The main payload was a 714 kg French Earth Observation Satellite named SPOT-7. 
PSLV C23 also carried a 14 kg AISAT of Germany, a NLS7.1 (CAN-X4) & NLS7.2 (CAN-X5) of Canada each weighing 15 kg and the 7 kg VELOX-1 of Singapore. 
Here is my interview:

On the occasion of the perfect launch of the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle-C22 (PSLV-C22) by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), I am posting my interview with Yannick d'Escatha, the then Chairman and CEO of the Centre National d'Etudes Spatiales (CNES), ISRO’s French counterpart.
The interview was conducted at the time of the launch of PSLV-C20. 

On February 25, 2013, ISRO put into orbit an Indo-French satellite SARAL, from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre at Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh. President Pranab Mukherjee and other dignitaries witnessed the special event.
In a 22-minute perfectly smooth operation, the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV-C20) first released the Indo-French satellite and then place on a perfect orbit six other foreign mini and micro satellites
It was the 23rd mission of PSLV, which has an impeccable record of 21 consecutive successful flights. The 668.5 kgs and 44.4 metres tall rocket lifted a mass of 229.7 tonnes.
A couple of hours the launch, Claude Arpi meets Mr. Yannick d'Escatha, Chairman and CEO of the Centre National d'Etudes Spatiales (CNES), ISRO’s French counterpart to discuss the deep trust between India and France in the field of space.
To say the importance of the project for the CNES, Mr d’Escatha had especially flown from Kourou in French Guyana, to be present. Three days earlier, he was in Delhi with President Hollande to sign a Letter of Intent on the future collaboration between ISRO and CNES.

CA: Mr. d'Escatha, can you say a few words about the long collaboration between India and France in the field of space.

Yannick d'Escatha

YDE: This is a historic cooperation that has lasted more than forty years. It was greatly boosted in 2003 when we revived the Megha-Tropique project [Megha-Tropiques is an Indo-French satellite to study the exchange of thermal energy between the ocean and the atmosphere in a tropical region to better understand the impact of these exchanges on the climate]. The satellite was put into orbit in 2011 and it was a success. And now, ISRO has launched the satellite SARAL [or Satellite with ARgos and ALtiKa is a cooperative altimetry technology mission], which I am sure will also be a great success.
[Further], on February 14 in Delhi, we signed a new bilateral agreement in the presence of the President [François Hollande] and the Indian Prime Minister [Manmohan Singh]; we decided that we were going to work on a third space mission, after Megha-Tropiques and Saral. We also decided to start a collaboration in the field of space technology.
In this agreement, we have clarified the process of selection of the third mission, which will focus on the same theme as the previous two, that is ‘climate change’. We also agreed on a schedule which will lead to the choice of this mission in the fall of 2014.

CA: What will be the theme?

YDE: It will continue to revolve around climate. This is where France and India have more common interests. The proposed research will also include [the study] of tropical climate. Today, India and France are the two main countries specializing in the study of tropical climates using satellites. For India, it is obvious for geographical reasons; as for France, we are also interested because the weather forecast in our latitudes is highly dependent on the conditions in the tropics, which is a real energy reserve. We are passionate about this issue. We are, with India, the world's best on the subject, and it is in this field that we want to, and will continue our cooperation.

CA: Two years after its launch, are you satisfied with the Indo-French cooperation on the Megha-Tropiques project?

YDE: We are more than satisfied. There is a lot of voluntarism on both side; further, to work together on the same satellite, we have learned to work in integrated teams.

CA: This is part of the strategic partnership signed by President Chirac in 1998?

YDE: Yes. What I find most interesting is that to successfully work on a satellite together, each one must give the best of himself; it means that both have to closely work together. One must transcend cultural barriers; language is not the same; one must adjust working methods which are not always the same. In a multicultural project one must overcome all this. With India, it works very well. Friendly ties have been forged and they are deep.

CA: Do you mean that there is a real understanding between India and France?

YDE: Yes, it is very clear for the Megha-Tropiques project. In the beginning, there were difficulties to adjust our engineering methods; our methods are not the same, but at the end, we had to have only one satellite!
So, it is necessary that the two methods are coupled if we want a successful ending. We managed this for Megha-Tropiques and now for the Saral project, it has become much easier. This means that we have learned from each other, the work on Saral has been much smoother after our experience on the Megha-Tropiques.

CA: Do you think that this kind of collaboration between countries is the future for research?

YDE: Absolutely. For us Europeans, we are accustomed to working together in multilateral cooperation at the level of Europe. A nation does no longer work alone in Europe, one works with other European countries. We also cooperate with international agencies of all great space powers.
For example, what we do with our Indians partners (ISRO) on the study of climate with the Megha-Tropiques and Saral satellites, deeply interest the international scientific community, including the Americans, the Japanese and Brazilians, as well as Europeans.
Another example, EUMETSAT [European Organisation for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites] is involved in the use of data collected by Megha-Tropiques for the weather, but also through a NASA program called GPM (Global Precipitation Mission), which is a Japanese-American program.
We try to understand and model the mechanisms of rain precipitation on our planet, especially in the tropics, a region which plays a particularly important role. Thus, ISRO and CNES have signed an agreement with EUMETSAT, and an agreement with NASA to participate in this GPM broader collaboration. The result is that we do many things that we would be unable to do individually. In fact, we do much more.

CA: Financially and scientifically?

YDE: Exactly. On both sides, we have scientific communities involved in the cooperation, which leads to more scientists on a particular project, but also more technology, more industries, and more budgets. It is very interesting because you get all the results by paying less, that is to say we pay our own share only. In addition, we learn from each other; it helps us to grow. We are enriched by the methods, knowledge and technology of the other.
In the Letter of Intent signed during the presidential visit [on February 14 at Hyderabad House], there is a very important point to emphasize.
Two things were decided, first of all we will work, as I told you, on a third joint project.
Second, we want to go further in opening a new chapter of cooperation which is called the R & T (Research and Technology).
This is very interesting because it allows a continuous cooperation, while for missions like Megha-Tropiques or Saral, it goes through different phases: increase in activities, it passes through a maximum, and then it stops, and then we go to the next project. The importance of cooperation in R & T is that you can carry out research continuously, regardless of the phases of a particular project. The other benefit of cooperation in R & T is that it enables the development of industrial cooperation. As for rockets, cooperation, to be complete, must have three stages! The first stage is the collaboration between space agencies, that is to say States. For this, we need a common will and topics of common interest on which we can work together. With India, the first stage between the two space agencies has worked very well for a long time. There is a high trust on both sides. The second stage is the cooperation between the scientific communities that are created around particular joint missions; this stage also works well between France and India. And the third stage is the cooperation between industries. It is this stage that we are trying to ‘boost’ by opening a fresh chapter of cooperation in R & T.

CA: President François Hollande has often spoken of ‘trust’ during his recent visit. Do you find this trust in the space cooperation?

YDE: When deep friendships are forged, then comes a robust relationship based on trust. We bring a lot to each other, and this is on a long term basis.

CA: President Mukherjee recently spoke of an Indian mission to Mars. Could you envisage a collaboration between India and France in this field in the future?

YDE: Sure, but it would be within the European framework. We have already cooperation between ISRO and ESA [European Space Agency]. So, in addition to our bilateral cooperation between India and France, there is already some cooperation between India and Europe. We are anyhow the main European player in the field of space.
We Europeans are considering the exploration of Mars at the European level with an international worldwide cooperation. Each member state does not act individually. We are interested and involved, but it is the ESA which represents us. This is the case when we discuss the International Space Station with NASA.
For the exploration of Mars, we are calling for international cooperation of all countries. It's too big for any country, whoever it is, including the Americans who have renounced to go alone! Remember that the Americans have a space budget six times larger than all of Europe combined. Well, even they cannot do it alone.
So if you want to go to Mars, we need to go together. It is humanity that will explore Mars. In that context, India has an important role to play. India has proven its technology with its launchers as well as with Chandrayaan [solar probe] and its satellites.

CA: Last question, personal this one. Dr. Radhakrishnan, your ISRO counterpart went to pray at the great temple of Tirupati for the success of the mission PSLV C-20. Do you pray before a launch?

YDE: Individually, everyone does what he wants to do in a moment of emotion like that. It is true that one always defies the laws of nature during a launch.

CA: This is a very emotional moment!

YDE: Yes, it is a moment of emotion which sublimates man. This is probably why we touch other concepts: space is not only on earth, there is another dimension.

A Great India in Space

In recent months India has been a depressing country to observe. One scan follows another; the latest being the chopper scam for the procurement of 12 AW101 helicopters from the Anglo-Italian firm Agusta-Westland.
It is all the more disheartening because before any proof is made available, the MoD has already indicated that India will ‘ban’ the British and Italian companies.
It is depressing because for the faults of a few, it is the country which is penalized. Remember L’Affaire Bofors? India preferred to punish the bribe-giver company and let free the bribe-taker; ultimately, the country suffered for many years due to a lack of spare parts and ammunition.
The choppergate is the symptom of a deeper malady; corruption is increasing by the day. Last week I had to get my driving license, I was told that to ‘make it smooth’, some contribution has to be ‘offered’ to the licensing authorities; no way to only put the blame on the ‘voracious foreign’ arm dealers.
I need not further detail some other curses of modern India such as the way rape victims are treated…
I was in this dark mood when I got an invitation to attend the launch of the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) C-20 in Sriharikota, 100 km north of Chennai.
Having followed President Hollande’s visit to India earlier this month, I thought that, if successful, this would be the cherry on the Indo-French partnership cake.
Apart from the Indo-French collaborative effort, Saral, which is to study the ocean surface and environment using two French devices — ARgos and ALtila, the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) was to put into orbit six other satellites, UniBRITE and BRITE from Austria, AAUSAT3 from Denmark, STRaND from the UK and NEOSSat and SAPPHIRE from Canada.
ISRO had postponed its 23rd launch of a PSLV rocket a couple of times since December due to detected technical malfunctions; this provided a unique occasion for President Pranab Mukherjee to witness the event at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre on the Sriharikota range.
I had no hesitation to jump at the occasion for another reason: the Indo-French collaboration in the domain of space had intrigued me from the time the romantic French President Nicolas Sarkozy decided to visit the Satellite Centre of ISRO in Bangalore before taking his wife to the Taj Mahal.
Was space collaboration more glamorous than the Mumtaz’ mausoleum?
It is true that Indo-French cooperation in the domain of space is one of the oldest, even if not the best-known.
Already in May 1964, the Centre National d’Etudes Spatiales (CNES) of France and the Indian Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) “embarked upon a programme of continuing cooperation in space research of mutual interest for peaceful scientific purposes.” ISRO did not exist as yet.
The DAE agreed to manufacture, under license in India, the Belier and Centaure probing rockets developed by the French firm Sub-Aviation. The CNES supplied to DAE four Centaure rockets used for vapour cloud experiments.
The Indian space program continued to develop smoothly, often with French collaboration.
Of course, India has gone a long way since. The present PSLV C-20 weighed 229 tones for a height of 44.4 meters and was able to carry a payload weighing 668 kg.
A couple of hours before the launch, Yannick d’Escatha, the CNES President told me how important the cooperation with ISRO has been for the CNES, particularly after the Megha-tropiques project initiated in 2003.
Not only did the bilateral relations take a new turn, but the joint venture was an occasion to deepen the friendship between the scientists of the 2 countries; and ‘friendship’ means trust, he said.
Launched on October 12, 2011 by PSLV C-18, the objective of the Megha-Tropiques was to study intra-seasonal and inter-annual variations of the energy and water budget of the land-ocean-atmosphere system; all linked with global warming.
On 14 February 2013, President Hollande and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh witnessed the signature of a Statement of Intent for long-term cooperation in space between ISRO and CNES; President d’Escatha said a third joint mission will soon be planned, again in the field of environment and climate change.
For me, the launch of PSLV C-20 was a ‘comforting’ experience.
One hour before the expected time of ignition, one could feel the tension (if not the anxiety) mounting among the French, Canadian and Indian engineers gathered in the special gallery above the control room in which 5 giant screens were installed. On each screen were given details of the countdown, including the IST and GMT timings. Several cameras focused on different parts of the rocket as well as the control room.
As The Hour approached, a silence descended on the range; even the thousands of flamingos, herons, egrets or pelicans populating the Pulicat lake seemed to know that the time had come. The full moon was a bonus organized by ISRO for its Indian and foreign guests.
As the ‘10 minute’ countdown was announced, the remaining tasks (shown on the screens), one by one turned from red to green when successfully completed; the silence was then complete. A Canadian scientist who had worked for 12 years on the NEOSSat satellite and who witnessed several launches at Baikonur (in today’s Kazakhstan) or at Kourou, in French Guyanna, advised me to stay outside during the first 2 minutes (the separation of Stage I occurred after 113 seconds after the initial ignition). I did not regret heeding to him; later I felt sorry for the President and the poor VVIPs inside the enclosure who could only see the screens. Outside, it was grandiose, as twilight descended, the PSLV majestically rose; first in a leisurely manner, then the rocket took a slow turn towards the south. It was worth watching. As the Stage I and II separated, one could see the Stage I slowly being left behind (before falling into the Bay of Bengal); all those present started clapping enthusiastically.
And then, everyone rushed into the gallery to follow the rocket’s trajectory on the radars. After each announcement, visible on the screens: the separation of a stage, ignition of the next one and then separation of each successive satellite, the scientific staff (including ISRO’s Chairman who had abandoned the President of India to be with his scientists) and the other lucky witnesses would clap.
Our hands were red after 22 minutes when it was announced that the launch had been a success; all the satellites had been placed on their proper orbits.
Then everybody started to congratulate his or her neighbours. Some even congratulated me, just because I happened to be born in France?
The tension was then transferred from ISRO to their partners whose job was to link their respective satellites with different earth stations. For Saral, it happened immediately; but the poor Canadian of the SAPPHIRE project had to wait 2 hours for the confirmation that the link was established; they could then join the celebrations.
It was a great clean success for India.
No question of bribery, of ‘cheating’ the system here, of replacing ‘cement by sand’ to cut down the cost. One can’t cheat at this level of technology.
The ‘foreign’ witnesses were impressed by the demonstration of technical skills and precision of the entire operation. At that minute, India was truly one of the major powers of the planet.
I thought to myself, India can do it! Why does one still need Czech trucks or Swedish howitzers? India can do them!
But the other India, the India of middlemen and their political sponsors seems to need always more money to run the largest democracy in the world. That is the problem.

France-India: Special Relations

One French presidential visit to India follows another and although they can’t be more different in style and appearance, the essence of the Indo-French relations remains the same, based on trust and history.
Nine months ago, François Hollande became President of the French Republic. He took over from the flamboyant and hyperactive Sarkozy justifying the French press calling the new President, ‘Mr. Normal’.
It turns out that after all, Hollande is not that ‘ordinary’. As France was busy with a hot debate over gay marriages, Hollande suddenly became a chef de guerre, a Commander-in-Chief when he sent French troops to Mali.
Moreover, the new President had scored over his predecessor even before reaching Delhi. While Carla Bruni did not get the coveted status of ‘spouse’ during Sarkozy’s first visit in January 2008, Hollande's partner, Madame Valerie Trierweiler, was treated as such during Hollande’s State visit to India, being officially received at Rashtrapati Bhavan.
But the Indo-French relations go far beyond society gossip or the tight MEA protocol.
In December 2010, as I was in the bus with the French journalists returning from Hyderabad House (where Sarkozy and Dr. Manmohan had issued a Joint Statement) to the Media Center in the Maurya Center, everyone was busy with calculators to check the ‘total’ of the agreements signed. President Sarkozy’s tally reached 17 billion Euros; this was including 9 million for two Areva nuclear plants in Jaitapur, Maharashtra (not yet started), the refitting of the Mirage 2000 and other sundries.
This time, there was no big money contract ‘signed’ during Hollande’s visit, but the new President took time to speak to his interlocutors, whether they were businessmen, researchers, journalists or ordinary French citizens. Never, did I got the impression of a man in a hurry, a big difference with his predecessor.
The four agreements, signed at Hyderabad House after a meeting with the Indian Prime Minister, included initiating a Cultural Exchange Programme between India and France (exchanges between artists, architects, cultural stakeholders, students, teachers, researchers, etc.); a Letter of Intent on the Intensification of Cooperation in the Fields of Higher Education and Research; a Statement of Intent for long-term cooperation in Space; and a Joint Statement to strengthen co-operation in the railway sector.
The agreements signed are not as ‘tangible’ as those inked by Sarkozy in December 2010, but signal a close and long-term partnership in diverse fields such defence, civil nuclear energy, space, economic and scientific exchange or culture.
What emerged clearly from the presidential visit is that the relation between France and India is ‘historic’, old, stable and based on trust. This was repeatedly mentioned during his two-day stay in Delhi and Mumbai.

The Defence Sector
In the critical domain of defence, the Joint Statement affirms: “the Leaders noted that the projects for the Scorpene submarine and upgrade of the Mirage 2000 are moving forward and steps are being taken for early finalization of the SRSAM Project [between MBDA and DRDO]. Both sides noted the ongoing progress of negotiations on the MMRCA [Medium Multi-Role Combat Aircraft] programme [Rafales] and look forward to their conclusion.”
‘The mother of all deals’, the supply of 126 MMRCA to the IAF, for which the Rafale of Dassault Aviation has been selected, was, of course, at the heart of the visit.
Someone noted that if Dassault’s karma is good, the deal may be signed before the summer. A week earlier at the Bangalore airshow, the Indian Air Chief had confirmed that the file would be sent to the Finance Ministry sometime in April/May and if it comes back with favorable notings, the deal may be signed soon after.
The main issue seems to be a lack of ‘understanding’ between Dassault and Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL). News had circulated that Dassault was keen to have a deal with Reliance Industries to build 108 Rafales in India (18 will be directly supplied from France). Defence Minister A.K. Antony had to clarify that Dassault could not decide on the quantum of work taken up by HAL in the deal, as the tender mentions that HAL will be the Indian partner of the French firm. The Anglo-Italian choppergate will certainly not incite the Government to change the rules of the game.
As per the Joint Statement, the two nations have decided “to promote an ambitious and balanced Free Trade Agreement between India and the EU; establish an annual bilateral dialogue on economic and financial issues; facilitate and support investments from French companies into India and Indian companies into France; foster people mobility between the two countries and twining of higher education institutions...”
It is rather ambitious.
President Hollande even spoke of Bollywoood; a joke which was lost to many: he asked: “who invented cinema, is it France or India?” and added that it would be finally decided during the next Cannes Festival which will be consecrated to the 100th anniversary of Indian Cinema.

Economic perspectives
An important part of the State visit was consecrated to economic cooperation. On the first day, addressing the Economic Forum held at the Taj Hotel, President Hollande gave a business perspective to the Strategic Partnership between the two nations.
Hollande pointed out that France is ranked 9th as an investor in India, “It is not enough”, he said, adding, “…India is ranked 13th as an investor in France, it is far too little.”
He regretted that the bilateral exchanges have been stagnating at 7.5 billion Euros, the objective of 12 billion (fixed by Sarkozy in 2008) not having been reached. In his own style, he asserted: “Me, I don’t want to fix objectives with figures, but what I know is that we have large domains of collaboration, great potentials and [possibility] of common development”.
He mentioned amongst others, the fields of energy, transport, audiovisual, culture and large retailing.
On the second day, the French President travelled to Mumbai where he toured the Lafarge Research and Development Centre and later addressed a number of CEOs of Indian companies. He told them: “Mumbai is India’s economic heart; I can feel it pulsating at high speed. It is India’s industrial, commercial and financial centre; the first port of your great nation. It is therefore the privileged place to speak about the future economic relations between France and India”.
The Mumbai leg of the visit was clearly to invite businessmen of both countries to develop closer contacts and eventually invest in each other’s economies. Indian CEOs were told: “More than ever we have to be partners, partners for growth.”
A day earlier, The Times of India had asked the President why France trails other European countries in trade with India? He had answered: “In France, as in India, we wish to boost growth. The development of our bilateral trade must contribute to that goal. But to state things frankly, Indian customs duties are very high in certain areas, such as the food-processing sector. The entire challenge of the Free Trade Agreement under discussion between the EU and India is to give fresh impetus to our trade both ways.”
Several times, Hollande mentioned Europe: “Our interests are linked. We, in Europe, want to create stability, trust, but also growth. You, here in India, like every important emerging nation, you should take part in the world’s growth.
He firmly added: “I can tell you, the crisis in the Euro zone is over”, but [to grow] France needs the help of the great emerging economies like India.”
A few days later, Prime Minister Cameron would speak the same language, minus mentioning Europe, of course.
While pointing out that French companies employ more than 2,40,000 skilled Indian workers, Hollande said that the trade should be balanced and mutually beneficial.
During the two days, whenever he had the occasion, the President invited Indian companies to invest in France: “You are welcome. You will find the best technologies in France, very good infrastructure, a workforce of exceptional quality”.
During a working breakfast, when senior heads of the Indian industry asked him if investing in France could be a window on Europe, he answered (in English, can you believe it!): “it is not a window, it is an open door”.
He insisted that he was not only addressing the large enterprises, but also the medium and small-scale industries.
He introduced to the audience the Special Representative for economic relations with India, Paul Hermelin, the Chairman of the large IT firm Capgemini. Hermelin’s job will be to try to bring some vitality to the relatively slow economic relations.
Hollande recalled several times that there are today 750 French companies working in India; he particularly mentioned the Banque Nationale de Paris which came 150 years ago to Mumbai.
But everything is not rosy. It is not always easy for French companies to ‘settle’ in India (that is perhaps why Dassault seems nervous). Take Snecma, a French multinational aircraft engine manufacturer based in France. For several years, Snecma worked with Gas Turbine Research Establishment (GTRE), a lab under the DRDO for the joint development of the Kaveri engine for India's Light Combat Aircraft. The Business Standard recently reported that the Ministry of Defence “will no longer ask French aircraft engine builder Snecma to help it in resurrecting the indigenous Kaveri jet engine, which has reached a dead end in development”.
Despite the goodwill and the trust, joint or single ventures are bound to face difficulties.
It is however worth mentioning an issue which has remained rather discreet, but which is the oldest collaboration between India and France; it is the cooperation in space.
During their discussions at Hyderabad House, President Hollande and Dr Manmohan Singh mentioned: “the success of Megha-Tropiques satellite launch in October 2011 and the upcoming SARAL satellite launch. Both satellites contribute significantly to environmental and maritime survey purposes.” The SARAL satellite was successfully launched on February 25 from Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh.
The maiden visit of President Hollande in Asia could be best described as more than ordinary; it reveals a meaningful and trusted partnership. It does not mean that the road will not be bumpy.