Indo-French trade relations seem to be moving ahead in kicks and starts. A major bilateral political visit or a major development like the orders placed by Indian civil aviation companies leads to a major bump up in the bilateral trade as was seen in 1999 and 2005 and 2006. And then they seem to fall back in their normal, Hindu growth rates of low single digits.

In part this is because the Indo-French business relations are limited both vertically and horizontally. The top 100 French companies have been doing business with India, with mixed results, for several years, while the same may be true of the leading Indian corporate. And hence the economic interaction remains limited to the top few companies and in the few sectors where they are present.

As a result, a large proportion of both the economies remain untouched by the other. Moreover, in both India and France, it is the small and medium businesses that account for nearly three-fourths of the GDP and it is in this segment that there is practically no interaction between the two economies.

Both for Indian and French SME’s the respective market remains a promising but daunting and distant prospect, forcing them to look elsewhere for doing business. The SMEs could and would indeed do much better if they had access to tool and information that would help them develop

Food processing in general and wine in particular is one of the most promising sectors to boost Indo-French trade. The French mastery of the wine industry is legendary, but the French wine industry is going through a mini crisis as it faces huge competition from practically all corners of the world that have emerged as wine producing centres. The French wine industry desperately needs new markets and there are no markets, with the sole exception of China, as large and as promising as India.

But the French wine industry should not look at India only as a place to sell their wines. They can also sell their expertise, their technology and their know how to help develop the Indian wine industry.

For the Indian wine industry too collaboration with the French is multifaceted and has multiple benefits. They can ake advantage of the French know how to develop the best quality wines, as has been done by Grover and Sula etc. Moreover, they can also sell in the French/European markets as is evidenced by the success of Grover in France and other parts of the world.

Thus it is proposed to set up a dedicated centre for the development of Indo-French cooperation in the wine industry. With offices in India as well as France, Vineyard, the Franco-Indian Network of Enologists or FINE will act as a nodal B2B centre for the development of bilateral relations in this space.

FINE will have a wide scope of activities covering the entire gamut of the wine industry – from farm to flute/grapes to glass. It will organise regular events to promote interaction and exchange between the enologists from India and France, but also serve as a platform for anyone seeking information/technical assistance or technology transfer in this domain.
 

Overall Objectives of FINE

• Bring together on the same platform French and Indian grape growers and wine makers to exchange state-of-the art information and experience on science and technology of wine making.

• Provide information on the latest equipment and experts/consultants in the field of vineyards and wine making.

• Provide marketing opportunities for wine growers from India and France.

• Promote ‘quality wine movement’ and ‘wine network for health’ as good practices among Indians.

• Share the experience on the cooperative movement and government policies in the area of wine making and marketing in France and India.

Short term and long term goals:

• Establish an exchange programme between entrepreneurs, distributors, researchers and students. The First Wine Summit will be a launching pad for such exchanges.

• Establish web centre and data base for the information on market, technology, equipment suppliers and experts

• Promote good practices among the society regarding wine drinking including organic wines in India.

Approach

• Launch the idea in the summit and hold regular exchanges there after.

• Engage distributors, syndicates, associations, educators, students, policy makers and entrepreneurs.

• Involve the French, Indian Ministries and respective chambers of commerce.

• Network with consultants and enthusiasts interested in such collaboration.

To attain these objectives, to provide the momentum, and promote quality wine movement in India, it is proposed to hold the first ever Indo French Wine Summit in Paris in July 2008. We propose to make this a three-day, bi-annual event, held alternatively in India and France.
The three day will involve at least one day of business discussions and smeinar. There will also be an optional trip to a leading wine producing centre.
 

Tentative Programme:

Venue:

MEDEF/CCIP Paris (TBC)

Date :

17 July 2008 (TBC)

Time :

9 AM to 6 PM (Presentations, discussions and Next Steps. Detailed Agenda being formalised)

Lunch

1 PM to 2.30 PM.

Conclusion:

Wine Tasting Session

Evening

Cultural Programme (TBC)

19-20th July 2008, wine tour to Bordeaux (tentative)
 

Six months later, say in December/Jan, we would like to host the event in India in order to sustain the build up of the momentum generated by the first such meeting.
 

Organizers:

1) MEDIA INDIA, Paris

2) Madhyam India, Pune
 

Partners for the venture:

1. Indian Government: Food Processing Ministry, APEDA
2. French Government: Ministere AGROALIMENTAIRE, SOPEXA
3. Indian Embassy in France
4. French Embassy in India
5. CII/FICCI/ASSOCHAM/MACCIA
6. MEDEF/CCIP
7. Franco Indian Chamber of Commerce
8. Maharashtra Mandal France
9. GOPIO, France

Organising Committee:

1. Rajendra Shende – Maharashtra Mandal France ( MMF), Media India, Paris
2. Ranvir Nayar, Media India, Paris
3. Suchita Bhat-Shende, Madhyam India, Pune
4. Vinod Malhotra, Anju Enterprises, Paris
5. Vinita Apte, Madhyam India, Pune
6. Christian Pillsbury- INSEAD
7. Ashwini Patil, Enologist, Paris
8. Alfi Malek, Demeter, Paris

Advisory committee

1. Ambassador of India to France TBC
2. Medef India Representative TBC
3. CCIP Vice President TBC
4. V. Thulasidas –CMD Air India
5. Marie Christine Cronenberger-Promoter of Bordeaux Wines (TBC)
6. Kapil Grover –Gorver Wines
7. Rajeev Samant-Nasik, India
8. Baramati Winemakers Association
9. Sujata Patil (Maharashtra (to be confirmed)
10. Nicholas Forrestier TBC
11. Mayor of Pune
12. Mayor of Bordeaux
13. Mayor of Baramati

Potential Sponsors:

• 10)  Air India
• 11)  Bordeaux/Pune city administrations and Mayors (other cities/states for the
         future progs)
• 12)  Maharashtra Govt/MIDC/MTDC/BoM etc
• 13)  Leading Indian players Mallya, Grover, Sula,, Indage etc
• 14)  Leading French label