Visit of Edouard Philippe to India

Former Prime minister of France and Mayor of Le Havre Édouard Philippe paid an official visit to India, covering the cities of Delhi and Mumbai, on 14th - 17th March 2023, to boost bilateral economic ties, particularly cooperation on ports, and decentralised cooperation between local governments.

Edouard Philippe served as the Prime minister of President Emmanuel Macron’s government from April 2017 to July 2020, a period that saw a remarkable deepening of the Indo-French strategic partnership, and the launch of France’s Indo-Pacific strategy. In his tenure as Prime minister, he also oversaw major economic reforms that have made France the most attractive destination for foreign investments in Europe. Mr Philippe is a national political leader in France and currently mayor of Le Havre, France’s largest commercial port city and the fifth largest of Northern Europe.

In Delhi, Mr Philippe called on Dr S. Jaishankar, Hon’ble External Affairs Minister, to exchange views on tackling major global challenges at a time when India holds the G20 presidency, as well as on the outlook for the France-India strategic partnership, which marks its 25th anniversary this year.

Mr Philippe also called on Shri Sarbananda Sonowal, Hon’ble Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, to discuss ports cooperation, particularly with regard to the implementation of the Indo-French Roadmap on the Blue Economy and Ocean Governance.

In order to promote business opportunities between France and India, Mr Philippe met several leading Indian investors, and presided as guest of honour over the business awards ceremony hosted by the Indo-French Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

In Mumbai, Mr Philippe met Mr Iqbal Singh Chahal, Brihanmumbai Municipal Commissioner, to discuss cooperation opportunities between the two port cities of Le Havre and Mumbai. He also visited Nhava Sheva port, where the French container shipping company CMA-CGM recently won a 30-year concession. Mr Philippe was accompanied by a delegation of HAROPA, a combine of the port authorities of Le Havre, Rouen and Paris.

People-to-people ties being at the heart of the Indo-French relationship, Mr Philippe also shared his experience as Prime minister at two major academic institutions of India. At St Xavier’s College in Mumbai, he gave a lecture on the quest for balance in an imbalanced world. At St Stephen’s College in Delhi, he spoke on how literature and politics are intertwined. Mr Philippe is also a man of letters, author of novels (L’Heure de vérité, Dans l’ombre) as well as non-fiction (Des Hommes qui lisent), and essays on governance (Impressions et lignes claires).

This being his first official visit to India, Mr Philippe also seeked to gain deeper insights into the history and the cultures of India. He met renowned Indian writers, historians and artists as well as representatives of civil society.