Finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman begins four-day France visit

Union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Wednesday embarked on a four-day visit to France, where she will co-chair the India-France Economic and Financial Dialogue (EFD), hold meetings with global business leaders, and participate in a series of high-level engagements aimed at deepening the strategic economic partnership between the two countries.

The India-France Economic and Financial Dialogue will be held in Aix-en-Provence, where Sitharaman will jointly chair the meeting with French economy minister Roland Lescure. The dialogue will focus on identifying new areas of bilateral cooperation across sectors and strengthening economic and financial ties between the two nations, said a government statement on Wednesday.

The finance minister will also hold one-on-one meetings with select global chief executives and participate in a roundtable with leading industry executives. The interactions are aimed at highlighting India's strong macroeconomic fundamentals, ongoing structural reforms, expanding investment opportunities and long-term growth prospects, according to the statement.

She is also scheduled to participate in a panel discussion on “How to Promote the Growth of a New Middle Class” at Les Rencontres Économiques d'Aix-en-Provence, one of Europe's leading annual forums on global economic and public policy issues. The event, organized by Le Cercle des économistes, brings together heads of government, ministers, central bankers, business leaders, economists and academics from around the world.

Sitharaman will also visit the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) project at Cadarache. The ITER is among the world's largest international scientific collaborations on nuclear fusion energy, involving more than 30 partner countries, including India and France.

She will also visit Campus Cyber, France's national hub for cybersecurity innovation, research and skill development.

The government said the visit is expected to facilitate the exchange of best practices in strengthening cyber resilience and promoting innovation in the digital economy.

In addition, Sitharaman will meet Renaud Muselier, president of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur (PACA) Region, to discuss opportunities for cooperation in investment, innovation, clean energy, technology and regional economic partnerships.

The finance minister will conclude her visit with an interaction with members of the Indian diaspora in France.

Expanding bilateral trade

The government said the visit underscores the country's commitment to further strengthening its strategic economic partnership with France through closer cooperation in trade, investment, technology and innovation.

Within the European Union, France is India’s third-largest trading partner, after the Netherlands and Germany. For the year 2025-26, Indian exports to France amounted to €6.1 billion ($7.1 billion). The bilateral trade between India and France has more than doubled over the last decade, reaching €13.59 billion ($15.81 billion) in FY26.

Bilateral trade with France is expected to grow further with the signing of the India-EU Free Trade Agreement on 27 January 2026.

The Reserve Bank of India entered into a memorandum of understanding with the Banque de France (the central bank of France) in March 2026, providing for regular high-level dialogues, expert exchanges, and joint projects in areas specific to central banks.