Paris/New Delhi– Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal met with top global business leaders in Paris on Monday, showcasing India’s expanding potential in electric vehicles (EV) and renewable energy (RE) as he sought to attract fresh investments into the country.
The minister is currently on an official visit to France to strengthen trade and investment ties and is scheduled to attend a ministerial meeting of the World Trade Organization (WTO) on Tuesday.
Taking to social media platform X, Goyal shared, “Held a meeting with Luca de Meo, CEO of Renault Group. Exchanged views on India’s growing potential as an automobile manufacturing hub, along with emerging opportunities in the EV sector.”
Goyal also met Bernard Fontana, Chairman and CEO of French state-owned energy giant EDF, where discussions centered around India’s leadership in renewable energy and strategies to further integrate sustainable energy into India’s development roadmap.
Earlier in the day, the minister held talks with Patrick Pouyanné, Chairman and CEO of TotalEnergies, a global energy major. “Discussed the company’s investment plans for India and avenues for deeper collaboration in the renewable energy sector,” Goyal noted.
In addition to strengthening India’s green energy and EV ambitions, Goyal indicated that India is close to finalizing a free trade agreement (FTA) with Oman. Negotiations, which began in November 2023, have made significant progress following his visit to the Gulf nation in January this year.
As part of his three-day schedule in France, Goyal is expected to hold bilateral meetings with key French officials including Eric Lombard, Minister of Economy, and French Trade Minister Laurent Saint-Martin. Talks will focus on deepening the Indo-French economic partnership and exploring new channels for enhancing trade and investment.
Goyal is also scheduled to engage with senior leadership from major French companies such as Vicat, L’Oréal, Renault, Valeo, EDF, ATR, and TotalEnergies.
Following his engagements in France, the Commerce Minister will continue his official visit in Italy for the next leg of the European tour. (Source: IANS)
