Apparao V Mallavarapu conferred Chevalier de l'Ordre national du Mérite

The Ambassador of France to India, H.E. Mr Emmanuel Lenain, yesterday conferred the insignia of Chevalier de l’Ordre national du Mérite on Mr Apparao V Mallavarapu, Founder and Chairman & Managing Director of Centum Electronics Limited Bangalore, at a special ceremony at the Residence of France. The honour came in recognition of his outstanding commitment and contribution to developing business ties between India and France.

Centum Electronics Limited Bangalore, established in 1994, is a publicly listed company on the National & Mumbai Stock Exchanges. The company specialises in the design and manufacturing of high-tech electronic equipment for the defence, aeronautics, space, medical, energy, and automotive sectors.

Under the leadership of Mr Mallavarapu, Centum has grown to be a global electronics design and manufacturing company, with operations in India, France, Belgium, and Canada. 80% of Centum’s revenue comes from Europe, USA, Canada, and Israel. Centum’s customers are Fortune 500 companies, such as Thales, GE, Airbus, Safran, Rafael, and Bharat Dynamics (BDL), Bharat Electronics (BEL), Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) in India.

Mr Mallavarapu plays a vital role in advancing Indo-French business relations. His long-standing contribution to the development of industrial cooperation between India and France is remarkable. Mr Mallavarapu is also an active member of the Indo-French business community and has participated twice in the Choose France Summit, a key annual B2B event organised under the aegis of the President of the French Republic.

Notable among his contributions to France is his astute decision to invest in July 2016, a 51% equity stake in the French engineering company ADETEL in Écully (Lyon metropolis, in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region), which was in financial distress. Not only has the business turned into a profitable one under his able leadership, but Centum has increased its stake beyond 90% today. The French subsidiary today employs close to 600 people in France, with a strong intent to further increase their business activities in the country. Today, Centum has built its credibility in the French market and works closely with important French companies like Thales, Airbus, Safran, Alstom, etc.

At the investiture, the Ambassador of France to India, H.E. Mr Emmanuel Lenain, said: “It is my privilege to confer the insignia of Chevalier de l’Ordre national du Mérite on Mr Apparao V Mallavarapu on behalf of the President of the French Republic. Through this award, France recognises Mr Mallavarapu’s pivotal role in the Indo -French business landscape and his outstanding contribution to the dialogue between French and Indian industries. We deeply believe that bringing French and Indian businesses closer together mutually benefits our countries, and are honoured to be able to count on Mr Mallavarapu’s vision to advance this goal.”

Accepting the recognition, Mr Apparao V Mallavarapu said: “I am both humbled and honoured to have been appointed as an Officier de l’Ordre National du Mérite by His Excellency, President of the French Republic, Emmanuel Macron. I wish to express my heartfelt gratitude to the Government of France for bestowing upon me this distinguished honour. It is truly a privilege to receive this prestigious award from His Excellency Emmanuel Lenain amidst a splendid and enchanting evening and the 25th anniversary of the India – France strategic partnership.

I consider myself fortunate to have had the opportunity to collaborate with a spectrum of French companies, ranging from large corporations to medium and small enterprises. Through these partnerships, I have had the privilege of being a part of building a robust and enduring connection between our two nations. I am profoundly thankful for the pivotal roles played by both the French and Indian governments in facilitating and enhancing collaboration among companies. With unwavering confidence, I believe that this strategic partnership will yield significant and mutual benefits for our great nations.”