French Ambassador Ziegler visits IIM Nagpur

French Ambassador Ziegler visits IIM Nagpur
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French Ambassador Ziegler visits IIM NagpurNov 2, 2018

French Ambassador Ziegler visits IIM Nagpur

French Ambassador Ziegler visits IIM Nagpur

We do not see India as revenue, we approach it as partners: French Ambassador

With a view to enhancing the Indo-France relationship and open doors for new possibilities of bilateral trade partnership between the two nations, the Ambassador of France to India, Alexandre Ziegler visited Indian Institute of Management Nagpur on Friday.

Ambassador Ziegler led a delegation of over 100 French company representatives to Nagpur to develop the Indo-France collaboration in terms of defense and aerospace, smart mobility and logistics, sustainable urban development, and infrastructure.

While addressing the IIM Nagpur students, Mr Ziegler specifically mentioned of France’s involvement in India’s urban revolution through the French Development Agency (AFD).

“As Indians, when thinking of France, one contemplates complicated, expensive and that one has to know the French language. But in reality, the scenario is not the same. France is one of the most inexpensive countries when it comes to higher education. France has a low tuition rate for both local and international students,” Mr Ziegler told the students.

He further clarified that France is not an expensive country. “France has many reputations and one of them is that France is not a cheap country. On the contrary, the cost of living in France is not that costly. Not only the country is affordable but is also acceptable. We treat everyone the same. Indian students get the same treatment as the French students,” Mr Ziegler said.

The Ambassador also explained that it is not mandatory to know French if anyone is opting to study or working in France.

He highlighted that students can apply for one or two semesters in France while still being a student of IIM Nagpur. This would give them a chance to explore French business and management education, he added.

During the question and answer session, one of the students asked Mr Ziegler about the state of work/job in France, to which he replied, “We have ample jobs. New companies are coming up and more and more Indian companies are choosing to invest in France. This has opened new avenues for Indian students to work in France.”

When questioned about the Start-up movement in France, the Ambassador was quite enthusiastic while mentioning that the country is number one in Europe in terms of creating startups and venture capitalist. “Worth mentioning is that many French startups have come up and many are in the pipeline. Bengaluru and Pune have been the major cities our startups have been operating.

Ambassador Ziegler added France has extended its expertise and financial aid to Nagpur’s projects under the Smart City and Metro.

While talking about their experience in India, Mr Ziegler said, “Close to 4,000 French companies have invested in India and are looking to expand. We do not see India as revenue or economy, we approach as partners.”

The French Ambassador interacted with the students and faculty on education and career. The session ended with a vote of thanks. The IIM Nagpur students presented Mr Ziegler with a tree plantation certificate and a painting by Subhash Babhulkar as a token of appreciation.