Karnataka Woos French Companies for Key Sector Investments

Bengaluru, Sep 8 (PTI) Karnataka is seeking to deepen its engagement with leading French companies and attract investments in manufacturing, aerospace, advanced engineering, food processing and emerging technology sectors, Minister M B Patil said on Tuesday.

This was the second day of his delegation's meetings with companies in France, officials said.

Patil, who is leading a Karnataka delegation on a visit to France and the Netherlands, held discussions with senior representatives of Somfy, Thales, Mecachrome, Savencia and Danone, highlighting the state's strong industrial, engineering, innovation and sectoral ecosystems, officials said.

He invited the companies to explore expansion and investment opportunities in Karnataka, they said.

During the meeting with Somfy, a French global leader in automation for openings and closures in homes and buildings, the delegation encouraged the company to explore manufacturing and assembly operations in the state, building on its existing presence in Bengaluru, the minister's office said in a statement.


It highlighted Karnataka's engineering, electronics and smart-building ecosystem as a potential base for Somfy's future localisation plans.

In discussions with Thales, a French global technology group focused on defence, aerospace, cyber and digital technologies, the delegation encouraged the company to anchor a larger share of its future investments in Karnataka and invited it to participate in the Global Investors Meet next year, the statement said.

The delegation held discussions with Mecachrome, a French high-precision engineering and manufacturing group specialising in machining, sheet-metal work and assembly for aerospace, aero-engine, defence, space and premium automotive applications, the minister's office said.

The Large and Medium Industries minister encouraged Mecachrome to set up its first India manufacturing facility in Karnataka.

In the meeting with Savencia, a French family-owned dairy group specialising in cheese, dairy products and nutritional ingredients, the delegation encouraged the company to set up a South India manufacturing hub in Karnataka to cater to growing regional demand, it said.

Danone, a French global food and nutrition company operating across essential dairy and plant-based products, waters and specialised nutrition, was also invited to consider a South India hub in Karnataka to support its next phase of growth in the country, the statement added.