Piyush Goyal Highlights Strong India-France Economic Synergy at CEO Forum in Paris
Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal, during his visit to Paris on Tuesday, addressed the India-France CEO Forum, underscoring the growing strength and strategic depth of bilateral economic relations. He was joined by Laurent Saint-Martin, France’s Minister Delegate for Foreign Trade and French Nationals Abroad, in a focused meeting that brought together top Indian and French business leaders.
In a post shared on social media platform X, Goyal remarked, “French companies believe in the India growth story.” He described the forum as a “small group meeting” that included insightful interactions across a broad spectrum of cooperation areas such as technology, artificial intelligence, education, and startups.
Goyal emphasized that both nations are committed to building a smarter, more connected future by enhancing trade and fostering innovation-led partnerships. He encouraged deeper sectoral collaboration, particularly in emerging and strategic domains like AI, tourism, manufacturing, and global capability centers.
Reiterating the need for tangible outcomes, Goyal proposed the formation of joint private-sector working groups under the CEO Forum umbrella to explore new business synergies. He also announced the activation of a fast-track mechanism at the ambassadorial level, designed to swiftly address trade and regulatory challenges faced by companies from both countries. “This will help us find new areas of trade and support each other in crossing the Rubicon of regulation,” he noted.
The minister also held high-level bilateral discussions on the sidelines of the forum. His meeting with Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Director-General of the World Trade Organization (WTO), reaffirmed India’s commitment to a fair, inclusive, and rules-based multilateral trading system.
Additionally, Goyal met with Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Commerce, Majid Al-Qasabi, to explore new investment opportunities and ways to deepen economic cooperation between India and the Kingdom.
Earlier in his address, Goyal stressed that India and France must work to significantly expand their bilateral trade, which currently stands at approximately $15 billion. He emphasized the vast untapped potential and mutual strategic interest in pushing the relationship to the next level.
