Modi's Three-Nation Tour To Focus On Make In India, Defence

NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi embarks on a three-nation tour of France, Germany and Canada that will focus on boosting trade and economic ties, including in defence and railways, keeping in mind the government's Make in India initiative.

Modi, who will arrive late in Paris, earlier said that his eight-day visit was focused on supporting India's national economic agenda, especially job creation for the youth.

All three destinations are G-7 industrialised democracies, with an economic interest, said Foreign Secretary S. Jaishankar at a media briefing ahead of the visit.

In France, Modi will be accorded a ceremonial welcome and immediately hold two back-to-back roundtables with top French CEOs, one focused on infrastructure and the other on defence technology.

"Infrastructure is high priority for the government, and the French companies have expertise and capability. Defence and nuclear energy are also important facets," Jaishankar said, adding that the cooperation will focus on the Make in India initiative of the government.

Modi will visit the Unesco headquarters and later attend a lunch at the French National Assembly.

In the late afternoon, he will call on President Francois Hollande, during which both sides will hold talks.

The two leaders will be presented with the report of the India-France CEOs forum on ways to boost business ties.

Thereafter, Modi and Hollande are to go on a boat ride on the Seine river, in a "nav pe charcha" moment, the foreign secretary announced.

Hollande will also host a banquet for Modi.

On April 11, the prime minister visits Toulouse, in southern France, where he will go to the Airbus facility and discuss ways of further cooperation, including in transfer of technology and investments.

He will also visit the French space agency CNES.

Modi will drive down to Lille to visit the Neuve Chapelle war memorial to pay homage to the 10,000 Indian soldiers who were killed during World War I, the foreign secretary added.