Bangalore: Two-day India visit of Franck Riester, French Minister for Foreign Trade starting from March 10-11, covering Delhi and Bengaluru will consolidate Indo-French economic ties.

"The purpose of the Minister's trip is to consolidate the robust bilateral economic ties with India to meet the current challenges of the global economy. Given France and India's common goal to boost their strategic autonomy, this visit seeks to enhance Indo-French cooperation in key industrial sectors," read Franck Riester's press statement.

He will also hold talks on France and India's efforts to reform the world trade system post-pandemic. Minister Riester will also reaffirm France's commitment to the Indo-Pacific, and further the positive French and European economic agenda for prosperity in the region.

In Delhi, Minister Riester will meet Piyush Goyal, Minister of Commerce and Industry, with whom he will review trade and investment, ways of fostering greater ease of doing business between the two countries, and coordination in multilateral fora on economic issues, added the release.

Minister Riester will meet Indian investors to highlight the advantages extended to foreign investors under the country's massive recovery plan of Euro 100 billion, "France 2030" investment plan in key industrial sectors, post-Brexit relocation opportunities, as well as showcase France as a perfect gateway to expansive European markets.

Minister Riester will also hold discussions with the representatives of French companies and the French network in India that assists French companies in their Indian projects, said the release.

On this occasion, the minister will preside over the ceremony of the IFCCI Business Awards 2022 for outstanding accomplishments of Indian and French companies based in India, as well as the Grand Prix VIE South Asia 2022 recognizing young French achievers working in French companies abroad.

During his trip, the minister will also visit French business success stories in India in tech and smart solutions. In Delhi-NCR, he will visit the Noida Headquarters, R&D, and Design facility of French company IDEMIA, a global leader in smart solutions for identity security services, added the release.

In Bengaluru, he will visit Dassault Systemes, a 3DEXPERIENCE company that provides businesses and people with collaborative 3D virtual environments to imagine sustainable innovations.

He will also visit the Indian company CENTUM Electronics, which has offices in France, providing precision microelectronics that are critical for applications in many sectors, including aerospace and defence.

Minister Riester will wind up his tour with meeting representatives from French and Indian tech ecosystems, brought together by the French Tech in Bangalore, which creates global connections for innovation.