Nouveau opportunity beckons India

Modi visit should boost Indo-French cooperation

As Prime Minister Narendra Modi embarks on a visit to France, the first stop of his three-nation tour, it's worth bearing in mind that the country's hexagonal geography and its multi-dimensional policies and technology skills have the potential to match India's 21st-century aspirations. At the same time, the French are looking at India as a land of technology-savvy youth with diverse abilities and a multicultural mass base that poses extraordinary opportunities for business and cultural exchanges.Thus, in pursuit of immediate gains, emerging opportunities for collaboration in environmental and nature protection, sustainable and responsible investments, clean and renewable energy, sustainable tourism and social business should not be squandered.

The challenges facing India in terms of forest governance, particularly under the inevitable pressure of urbanization, are formidable. Almost every region in France, like every state in India, is still facing the migratory pressure to the cities. By 2050, the French urban population will go beyond 80 percent from today's 75 per cent. In India, the present urban population of 30 per cent will rise to 60 per cent by 2050. Such urban pressure requires careful and thoughtful management of existing forests around urban areas. France has much needed experience. The management of its urban forests has economically and environmentally beneficial values.

France and India, apart from terrorism, are facing one more common challenge - air pollution - which Prime Minister. Modi was very frank in pronouncing, just a few days ago, as a major problem facing urbanites in India. Without entering into debate on ranking of the cities based on air pollution, there is no denial of the fact that as per the World Health Organization (WHO), approximately seven million people died from air pollution-related illnesses in 2012. This was more than double the combined total of HIV/AIDS and Diarrhea-related premature deaths. Reducing air pollution could save millions of lives every year and reduce sufferings of many more millions of children and women in urban area.

The deal between France and India to develop forests in India including those around urban conglomerates and to avail future carbon trading is an opportunity that is at the doorstep.France has technology, experience and well-managed operating facilities for Waste To Energy (WTE) conversion. WTE plants to treat 650,000 tonnes per year of household waste are in operation for more than 20 years with a thermal and electricity generating capacity of 65 MW each. There are cities, districts and provinces-wide networks of waste collection, sorting, incineration and electricity/heat generation all over France. There is an immense potential for small entrepreneurs in India to create such networks of Waste-To-Wealth programme that will run complementary to Modi's Clean India campaign.

India and France have missed other vital opportunities in the past to collaborate. France missed the massive IT revolution of 1990s when it became cozy and inward looking about its invention of Minitel. India too wasted the glorious opportunity of rendering the country as a leading magnet for foreign tourists. Now the opportunity to collaborate with France on clean energy, forest management, waste management, hospitality and tourism management must not pass by.

By Rajendra Shende