This webinar brought together 21 participants, including Ms. Lise Talbot Barre – Consul General of France in Pondicherry and Chennai – as well as Mr. Eric Fajole – Trade Advisor and Regional Director for India, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh at the French Embassy in India and Business France – along with French entrepreneurs based in both India and France.
All affected by COVID, the goal of this online conference was to inform entrepreneurs about the health situation at the end of the second wave in India, to share examples of successful post-COVID recovery, and to create a space for exchange between entrepreneurs.
The Consul informed us of the gradual resumption of in-person consular services as of June 28, 2021.
At that time, Pondicherry was reporting around 200 cases per day, with a vaccination campaign progressing more slowly than expected factors that nevertheless did not prevent the revival of local tourism.
Mr. Fajole shed light on the missions of Business France, which has around thirty employees spread across Delhi, Mumbai, and Chennai. Its goals include developing import/export between France and the rest of the world, attracting French investments to India and vice versa, maintaining France as the leading destination for foreign investment, and expanding the VIE (International Volunteer Program in Business).
Most French companies based in India have a relatively strong foundation, which allowed them to weather the crisis with minimal impact—unlike many small entrepreneurs. However, certain sectors experienced a surge in the number of startups, driven by new ways of working made possible through remote work, particularly in digital services and e-commerce.
