52 | AutoPartsAsia | AUGUST 2017EVENT
APA Bureau
T
he manufacturing companies
have to keep reinventing
themselves to adapt to the
changing market scenario
and the vision on sustainability in all
their processes and programmes. It is
becoming a major challenge. In order
to share experiences, projects and
visions between the French and Indian
manufacturing companies, the Indo-
French Chamber of Commerce and
Industry (IFCCI), in partnership with
Invest India, and The Madras Chamber
of Commerce and Industry, organised
recently in Chennai a conclave on
‘Manufacturing in India.’
In line with IFCCI’s mandate to
facilitate bilateral relations between
France and India, the event brought
together several French and Indian
industry leaders. Heads of several
French companies shared their
diverse experiences and knowledge
in manufacturing with their Indian
counterparts, for a better and more
sustainable future.The special invitees who attended the
conference included S Sarathi, Senior
Vice President, Anand Automotive Ltd
and Chairman, MCCI Manufacturing
Committee, Payal Koul, Vice President,
Invest India, and Philippe Janvier-
Kamiyama, Consul General of France
to Pondicherry.Highlighting the role of the Government
in the manufacturing sector, Koul said,“Government of India has launched
various initiatives to drive inclusive
growth in the country. Make in India
is the flagship programme which
is focused on building a conducive
business environment including
improving ease of doing business.
Huge investments are being made on
projects for roads, ports, airports, smart
cities, renewable energy etc. to build
and improve the infrastructure in India.
The Government- funded Invest India,
the single window facilitation agency for
investors in India, plays an important
role in promoting and facilitating ‘Make
in India’. The agency facilitates both
greenfield and brownfield companies
in India”.Janvier-Kamiyama spoke of the role
of France as a strong contributor to
the ‘Make in India’ model. Present in
all sectors ranging from automotive,
food processing, telecommunication,
construction etc., France is today the
fifth largest direct investor in India.
There is also an increasing interest in
urban development projects, especially
the smart city projects in India. The
contribution of AFD (The French
Development Agency) to the Kochi
Metro project is a good example of the
involvement of France in urban projects
in India. It was the biggest successful
investment in this sector. There has
been a spectacular growth in the
French presence in India during the last
five years. In Tamil Nadu alone thereare 118 French companies, making the
State one of the main States along with
Delhi, Maharashtra and Karnataka for
French investments.
Innovation
In panel discussions conducted as part
of the conclave, the French and Indian
company representatives discussed
two main topics: ‘Co-Innovation: The
future of the manufacturing industry,’
and ‘Sustainable Mobility: The Path to
achieving Manufacturing excellence in
the Automotive Industry.’
Leading French companies in India that
participated in the panel discussions
were Alstom India & South Asia,
FranceCol Technology, Mecaplast
India Pvt. Ltd, Michelin India, Lactalis
India, Renault India, and Saint Gobain
India. The Indian companies that were
associated with the Chamber for this
event were Clean Max Solar, MyHealth
Valet, Priti Suri & Associates, SAS
Partners, and Sri City, among several
others.
The discussion on ‘Co-Innovation’
was moderated by Ravin Mirchandani,
Executive Chairman, Ador Powertron.
The speakers included Dr. Francois
Bernot, Founder, FranceCol
Technology, Rahul Kumar, CEO,
Lactalis India, Dr Ranjit Kovilinkal,
Co-Founder, Hygeia e-Services,
Manu Karan, Vice President, Business
Development, Cleanmax Solar, and
Arya Tripathy, Senior Associate, PSA.Panel discussion on Sustainable MobilitySustainability Is The Challenge
Of New Age Organisations