Event report
Indo-French Investment Conclave 5th Edition: Bangalore, Karnataka
IFCCI, on Thursday the 3rd of November 2022, organized its prestigious flagship event, the Indo-French Investment Conclave the 5th Edition
The Indo-French Chamber of Commerce & Industry (IFCCI), on Thursday the 3rd of November 2022, organized its prestigious flagship event, the Indo-French Investment Conclave with its 5th Edition in collaboration with the Government of Karnataka as part of the Global Investors Meet (GIM) held in Bangalore. As part of the conclave, there were site visits held in the morning to important French manufacturing companies, followed by a seminar that was conducted at the Bangalore Palace Grounds which regrouped the Indo-French business community and brought together several thought leaders representing Indian subsidiaries of French companies to discuss their current investments in the State with their views on the future. This was succeeded by a VIP business networking dinner at TAJ MG Road.
The earlier successful editions of the Indo-French Investment Conclave were organized in Nagpur, Goa, Tamil Nadu, and Telangana State that led to the signing of several MoU’s and LOI’s along with announcements of several new French investments in the respective cities / States.
The 5th edition of the conclave brought together H.E Mr. Emmanuel Lenain, Ambassador of France to India, Shri Basavaraj Bommai, Hon’ble Chief Minister of Karnataka, and more than 200 CXOs that included existing and potential French and Indian investors in Karnataka, a delegation of French Foreign Trade Advisors (CCEs) - French CEOs in India with the aim to showcase the current strength of French investments in the state, and to position the state as a key investment destination for the future.
The conclave commenced with leading a select delegation of member company representatives to visit the manufacturing facilities of Safran-HAL Aircraft Engines and EssilorLuxottica, to witness and understand their scope of operations in the state and showcase their expertise in their respective industries.
The seminar segment of the Conclave commenced at the Bangalore Palace Grounds in the afternoon with a keynote speech by Mr. Biren Ghose, Country Head, Technicolor India who shared his thoughts as a successful leader of a large French subsidiary based in Karnataka. In his speech, he emphasized the importance of change, and how it drives development. He also spoke about how the government authorities, both State and Center have provided infrastructure & support for growth and development which have further reinforced the Indo-French ties. Post the keynote speech, there were panel discussions organized which brought together leaders of French companies in India, and specifically Karnataka, to discuss their experiences as investors in the State, sharing opportunities for growth, and any challenges they may have faced.
Panel 1:
The first panel discussion brought together Indo-French companies, representing several industries that have a presence in Karnataka. The aim of the panel was to discuss the experiences of these companies as investors in the State and to discuss the challenges, if any of operating in the state and opportunities that the future holds for their respective sectors. The discussion led to one major theme emerging about how India, especially Karnataka, is a cornerstone for global strategies as the workforce here is what drives a lot of companies to success.
The ease of doing business in Karnataka, the ecosystem with skilled and talented workers, top organizations, startups, educational facilities, and others that are present help foster an environment that drives innovation, creativity, and enables the government to develop policies that complement the requirements of the companies to expand and grow globally.
Panelists:
Mr. Alexandre Correia, Director Aeroline India, Sopra Steria
Mr. Nikhil Mallavarapu, Executive Director, Centum Electronics
Mr. Olivier Loison, Managing Director India, Alstom
Mr. Rajiv Aramadaka, Director, India Public Services Sector, Dassault Systemes
Mr. Subramanian Ganeshan, Global Head of Engineering (R&D) for Travel Distribution and Centre Head, Amadeus Labs
Mr. Eric Fajole, Trade Commissioner, Business France India (Moderator)
Panel 2:
The second panel discussion focused on the Defence, Aviation & Aerospace sectors in the State of Karnataka. The aim of this panel was to discuss the ease of doing business, challenges (if any), and opportunities that the sector holds along with the future of the industry in the State.
The main theme to emerge was of ‘Make in India’ and how India is a very large exporter for aircraft parts, cables and connectors for ‘in-flight’ entertainment systems and more, globally. The skilled workforce, access to talent, technology, and cooperation of the State and Central Governments, has made India a key destination for these industries to set up their base here. While setting up an entity in Tier-1 cities such as Bangalore has been easy, Tier-2 & 3 cities require more mediation by the local authorities to make the connectivity better and to smoothen out the legal processes.
The future of the Defence, Aviation and Aerospace industries, despite being slightly unstable due to the Covid-19 pandemic, is projected to be bright, as the companies intend to invest further in Karnataka.
Panelists:
Mr. Stephane Watier, Indian Units and Singapore Unit Global Manager, Axon Interconnect
Mr. Pierre Dickeli, CEO, Safran India
Mr. Marc De Laet, General Manager - Plant Manager India, Latecoere
Mr. Ashish Saraf, VP and Country Director India, Thales (Moderator)
Fire Side Chat:
The Fireside chat focused on the experiences of French SMEs in Karnataka. The aim of the panel was to understand and discuss their investments in the State. The main theme to emerge was the ‘human resources - skilled workers paradigm’ that allows for SMEs to grow but at the same time poses a challenge, as retaining the workforce is difficult for an SME that competes with larger groups. The developing infrastructure of the State is also another great opportunity for SMEs as employability increases with greater connectivity. The future looks promising for SMEs in Karnataka, as further investments are foreseen across industries.
Panelists:
Ms. Hortense Fanouillaire, Director Global Business Development, Axelor
Mr. Shan Venkat, MD & CEO, Lumiplan India
Mr. Vivien Massot, Managing Director India, TAC Economics (Moderator)
A Letter of Intent (LOI) was presented by Mr. Virender Grover, Managing Director, Roquette India announcing their upcoming investments in the State to the honourable Chief Minister of Karnataka. Roquette intends to set up a co-generation plant at its factory located at Taluka Gokak, District Belagavi of Karnataka State with an investment of approx. Rs. 120 crores. This project will help in the reduction of Co2 emission and help the company in utilizing local biofuel like Bagasse/rice husk/biomass fuel pallets.
The official Plenary Session brought together H.E Mr. Emmanuel Lenain, Ambassador of France to India, Shri Basavaraj Bommai, Hon’ble Chief Minister of Karnataka, Mr. Sumeet Anand, President, IFCCI, and Ms. Payal S. Kanwar, Director General, IFCCI.
The seminar was followed by a short private interaction between the honorable Chief Minister of Karnataka and a select CEOs of French Companies.
The Seminar held at the Palace Grounds gathered over 200+ participants that included govt. authorities, senior diplomats, industrialists, CXO's of Indian and French companies. The insightful panels and in-depth discussions held were overall encouraging for new potential businesses looking to newly invest in the State or expanding their existing investments and also setting up in the state of Karnataka. A VIP Business Networking Dinner was organized later in the evening at the TAJ MG Road, to conclude what was a fruitful day, which was attended by 130+ participants, that comprised of members and non-member companies from the Indo-French business network of IFCCI.
We extend our gratitude to our sponsors & partners, who with their support made the 5th Edition of the Indo-French Investment Conclave a grand success.
- State Partner: Government of Karnataka
- Platinum Sponsor: Anywr Group
- Gold Sponsors: Axelor, Amadeus, Dassault Systemes, Sopra Steria, Thales
- Silver Sponsors: Axon, Celio, EssilorLuxottica, Mahindra World City, Roquette
- Institutional Partner : Embassy of France in India, Consulate of France in Bangalore, Business France, Les Conseillers du Commerce extérieur de la France.
- Beverage Partner : Monin, Chandon
- Gift Sponsors: NAOS, The Laughing Cow
Overall, the Conclave was appreciated by the attendees and was a grand success! We would like to extend our appreciation once again to all our sponsors & partners, speakers, and participants for collectively taking this event to the next level of quality and engagement.
