Sonia Barbry was in Goa to host the Indo-French Investment Conclave organized by Indo-French Chamber of Commerce and Industry (IFCCI)
Sonia Barbry is Consul General of France in Mumbai. She is the first woman to hold this position. Barbry is a graduate from the Institute of Political Studies in Paris and the National Institute of Oriental Languages and Civilizations (in Hindi and civilization of South Asia). After several years in India as a student and then as French teacher at the University of Benares (Banaras Hindu University), Sonia Barbry joined, in 2004, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, where she was in charge of France’s policy with Pakistan and Sri Lanka, before being deputed to India where she spent 4 years as a political adviser at the French Embassy in New Delhi.
From 2011 to 2015 she was responsible for press and communication at the French Embassy in Tel Aviv before returning to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Paris to become, until end of August 2018, the head of the Department responsible for the implementation of France’s relations with the countries of South Asia (Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, Sri Lanka and the Maldives). Barbry was in Goa to host the Indo-French Investment Conclave organized by the Indo-French Chamber of Commerce and Industry (IFCCI). She spoke at length with senior economist Satyendra Nayak on business and beyond in India and Goa
Satyendra Nayak: What exactly brought you to India and what binds you to this land?
Sonia Barbry: My journey in India started 23 years ago when I came here as a young student. I was very interested in discovering India and its culture. I was studying political science in France and I had a compulsory internship to do. So I decided to find an internship opportunity in India and landed in Chennai to do my internship with UNICEF. I spent 6 month in south India doing this internship and travelling. And this is how the love relationship with India started. Since I was so passionate, I decided to come back the next year, and do another internship of 6 months. Then I came back again and I stayed for 2 and half years in Varanasi. I decided to learn everything about the India culture, studied Indian classical dance, classical music, Hindi, yoga. Later I was teaching French at Banaras Hindu University. I continued coming here and then I became a diplomat joining the French diplomatic service. I joined the French Embassy as diplomat in Delhi, and now in Mumbai. It was a great joy for me to come back to India and a pride to be the first woman to be French Consul General in Mumbai.
SN: Investment of France in India has increase substantially over the last decade. Yet, France is the sixth largest investor and largest European investor in India although the number of companies present in India is significant. What do you think needs to be done to improve investment further so that you can rise to second or the third place?
SB: France and India have a lot in common. Based on shared core values, our two countries have established more than 20 years ago a strong and trustful strategic partnership. Defence and security are an important aspect of this strategic partnership. And within the frame of this partnership, we also work together to promote peaceful international relations in a multipolar world and address global issues, such as climate change.
Our countries not only trade with each other, they also produce, invest and innovate in each other’s land. Around 600 French companies and subsidiaries are established in India, employing more than 360,000 people. They invest here and are heavily engaged in ‘making in India.’ On the other side, around 150 Indian companies are now present in France, employing around 7,000 people.
But we can still do much better if you consider the respective GDP of our two countries. The potential is huge, and both public and private actors need to work together to improve these figures.
The potential is huge, and both public and private sectors need to work together to improve these figures. An investment is the result of a team’s effort. Before deciding to invest, a company needs some guarantees from public sectors – a legal framework encouraging business and investments, which protects and respects intellectual property rights, and which enforces an efficient litigation system.
But there can’t be any solid strategic relation if it’s not based on a solid people-to-people partnership, and on strong economic cooperation. Our trade relations have almost doubled since 2009, and reached more than 12 billion Euros in 2018.
Another aspect is that India is still very much price driven. People need to understand that technology is important, quality is important, but it comes for a cost.
SN: What attracts French companies in term of economics of India?
SB: First of all the market, the huge market of India is 1.3 billion people with the fast growing and very young population. And this population has a growing buying power. But as I said, we not only trade with India, but our companies come and contribute to the ‘Make in India’ policy. They invest and innovate here. They have R&D centres, research and development to innovate in India and the technology that they invent can be used somewhere else, and this is the new step.
SN: France is known for its strides in infrastructure; do you think there can be a synergy on this sector between our two countries? Which are the areas which you think that India and France can collaborate?
SB: We have lot of companies which work in the infrastructure field and that is why now we are very active in the smart city project. We are very strong in metro rail transport and in urban development area, and you know this is very much needed. Because in the next ten to twenty years 30% to 60% of Indian people will live in cities, so there is the need for huge investment in infrastructure. We have to check that they can have waste water treatment and waste water management options, smart water supply without water leakage. And then we offer options for smart and clean transport to help in preserving the environment. In building roads and bridges, we have our construction companies working here, and of course we would like to do more. But it is up to the States and municipal corporations to accept, validate and finance the projects.
We are also focussing on trying to get the French SMEs to collaborate with Indian counterparts, because the big French groups and companies are already present over here. Now we need to help the SMEs to come to India because to them is not so easy. India is a complex and federal country so each state has different relations. So it’s not easy and we are doing our part and trying to help them. It’s a team effort and we also need to support the local authorities and local governments. The companies need assurance, they need to make sure that they have proper infrastructure and their investments are safe and secure. This is very important and that’s why we are here and that’s why we hosted the investment conclave in Goa – to engage in the discussion and make the authorities realise this; and to meet and tell them that French companies are ready to invest and to do more and also to list out our expectations.
SN: Tell us about France’s economic cooperation in Goa and the plans in future?
SB: Goa, is already well known as a land of leisure and tourism, but with this Indo-French Investment Conclave organized by the Indo-French Chamber of Commerce and Industry (IFCCI), we hope it can mark the beginning of a new relation between France and Goa.
We had very useful and insightful discussions during the three panel discussions on defence and aerospace, shipping and logistics, as well as on sustainability and green city. These topics are of strategic importance for both our countries. And the presence of Dr Pramod Sawant, Chief Minister of Goa; Shripad Y Naik, Minister of State for Defence; and more than a hundred companies, showed the strength and scope of the Indo-French economic relationship.
These two sectors have developed rapidly in the past few years. Last May our aircraft carrier, Charles de Gaulle, came to Goa with four frigates and a submarine and had joint exercises with Vikramaditya, its frigates and submarines for a whole week. About 2000 French navy officers were delighted to discover the wonders of Goa for few days.
On the economic front, we have several French companies present in Goa and some of them have even chosen this State to have their head office, like ALBEA. Some have a factory or a development centre, like SANOFI, the global pharmaceutical company. I would like to thank them for hosting our delegation in Goa, as well as to thank the French group ACCOR for hosting us in Novotel.
One of the main objectives of this conclave is to encourage interactions between the business community and government institutions in order to increase further bilateral business opportunities and investments in Goa.
And I am very happy to know that SAFRAN, a leading global French technological company and HAL, its Indian partner, are considering investing in a new plant here in Goa. I wish them good luck in their undertaking and hope this venture will receive utmost attention by the State and Union authorities.
We also have good cooperation with Goa University, where we hosted the 2nd Summer University for teachers of French, last May. More than 120 teachers from India, Bangladesh, Nepal and Sri Lanka attended this one week workshop focusing on pedagogy and French culture. France also actively takes part in the Serendipity Arts Festival.
SN: What exactly attracts French companies and people to India?
SN: For each person it is different. For me, what attracted me was a strong relation and connection with the people, culture and philosophy. The companies, of course, come for business and they need to have a profitable business, so everyone expects different things from India.
SN: I find that the major foreign tourists in Goa are from Britain and Russia. I don’t find many French tourists in Goa. What do you think can be done to attract more French tourists in Goa?
SB: French people love India and we have a lot of French tourists coming to India. Many of who love to visit Rajasthan. They love the havelis, maharajas, and India’s historical side. Then they also love to go to Himalayas. Remember that French are mountain people and they love to go and trek to Ladakh. If you see Ladakh, the first nationalities to visit are French. They love to go to Kerala because of the Kerala ayurvedic health treatments. It is true that they don’t necessarily have Goa on their travel plans. India doesn’t have the image of the beach destination. For beaches maybe they would think more of Thailand or Mauritius. But I think Goa should be included in the trip. Goa should work with Kerala and Maharashtra so that people come not only to Goa, but as a trip for two weeks. Just as they go to Rajasthan and Taj Mahal and then Delhi. Then you know it’s like a trip essentially to Goa, which can develop like a destination for French travellers not only to come and stay at the beach, but also to more places, that would be interesting
