Business will be the chief priority on PM Narendra Modi's visit to France

NEW DELHI: Business will be the primary focus of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to France beginning April 10, with emphasis on his ‘Make in India’ initiative, smart cities, energy cooperation and bilateral CEOs Forum meeting a day ahead. The Indian side at the Indo-France CEO Forum is led by Dhruv Sawhney (Triveni Engineering & Industries). Gautam Adani, chairman of Adani Group; Essar Group chairman Shashi Ruia; and Anil Ambani, chairman of Reliance Group will be among the 16 CEOs present for the forum that will be present a report to Modi and President Francois Hollande on April 10.

Other Indian CEOs at the forum include Saroj Poddar (Advantage Group), Ranjan Dhawan (Bank of Baroda), Baba Kalyani (Bharat Forge), Rajan Bharti Mittal ( Bharti Enterprises), BP Rao (Bharat Heavy Electricals), Rajiv I Modi (Cadilla), BC Tripathi (GAIL), T Suvarnaraju (HAL), Hari Bhartia (Jubilant) Sanjay Kirloskar (Kirloskar Group), KC Purohit (Nuclear Power Corporation of India) and TJ Kurien (Wipro). French Ambassador Francois Richier, while addressing a press conference on Tuesday in Delhi on Modi’s forthcoming visit, was non-committal on questions related to the multi-billion dollar deal Rafale deal which has been held up for long.

Officials privy to the matter, however, said off the record that "negotiations are on" for the deal under which French company Dassault Aviation will supply 126 Rafale fighter planes to India. Richier said French companies, including those in the field of defence, are keen to participate in the ‘Make in India’ programme and the fate of Rafale deal will be a key element in this. In Paris, French President Francois Hollande said there will be no news on the sale of Rafale fighter jets to India before Modi’s arrival.

The envoy also said that the two sides are "working hard" to make progress on setting up Jaitapur nuclear power plant, a project which has been stuck because of differences over cost of power to be produced. ET had earlier reported that Modi’s visit will give a push to techno-commercial pact for the supply of reactors by French nuclear firm Areva.