Union Minister for Finance and Corporate Affairs Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman has embarked on an official four-day visit to France, underscoring India's commitment to deepening its strategic economic partnership. The key engagement of the visit is the India–France Economic & Financial Dialogue (EFD), which she will co-chair with Mr. Roland Lescure, France's Minister of Economy, Finance and Industrial and Energy Sovereignty, in Aix-en-Provence. The dialogue will focus on discussing potential areas for greater bilateral cooperation across various sectors to enhance economic relations.
During the visit, the Finance Minister will hold one-to-one meetings with select global CEOs and participate in a roundtable interaction with leading business executives. The objective of these meetings is to showcase India's robust macroeconomic fundamentals, ongoing structural reforms, expanding investment opportunities, and long-term growth prospects.
FM Sitharaman is also scheduled to participate in a panel discussion on the theme “How to Promote the Growth of a New Middle Class” at the Les Rencontres Économiques d'Aix-en-Provence, a leading European forum for dialogue on global economic and public policy issues.
The itinerary includes a visit to the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) project at Cadarache, described as one of the world's largest international scientific collaborations on nuclear fusion energy, with over 30 partner countries including India and France. She will also visit Campus Cyber, France's national hub for cybersecurity innovation, research, and skill development, which is expected to facilitate an exchange of experiences and best practices in cyber resilience and digital economy innovation.
The Minister will meet Mr. Renaud Muselier, President of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur (PACA) Region, to discuss avenues for enhancing cooperation in investment, innovation, clean energy, technology, and regional economic partnerships. The visit will conclude with a community event with members of the Indian diaspora.