Agartala, April 14 (IANS) France is keen to increase trade and business with India and is strongly optimistic about the development of the agro, power, tourism, medicinal plants and mining sectors in eastern India, a senior diplomat said here Thursday.
"India-French chambers of commerce and industry has been formed recently to boost the economic activity involving France and its investors," Kolkata-based French consul general Jean-Louis Rysto told reporters here.
He said that currently seven French companies have been working in India and they want to expand their activities in newer areas of India.
Rysto is accompanied by another French diplomat on a three-day maiden visit to Tripura to study the investment prospect of the bordering state.
"French state-of-art railway technology can be useful for the railway development of the northeastern region. French perfume industry, food processing and river erosion expertise can be beneficial for the region," the envoy said.
"With the French investment and technology, first-ever food laboratory would be set up in West Bengal soon," Rysto said.
"Taking Manipuri cultural troupe to European countries for the past many years, the French government has been trying to boost the Indian culture too," he added.
According to the visiting diplomat, a parliamentary delegation of European countries has recently visited some eastern India places and praised the growing development in this part of India.
Rysto has also held an interactive meeting with the northeast India investors and industrialists late Wednesday. The meeting was organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII).
"Due to terrorism, most people were apprehensive about the resourceful northeastern region of India. It has tremendous natural and human resources and those must be tapped with a planned initiative," the French envoy stated.
Underlining the potential that lies in eco-tourism in the mountainous northeastern region, Rysto said the foreign tourists like the idea to have a real exploration into the pristine world of native culture and get true festival experience from within.
"I am not speaking about the conventional sort of tourism that we often see. The true experience to indigenous festivals would benefit the tourists heavily," said Rysto, who attended the Biju festival -- a three-day festival of Chakma tribes to celebrate the end of the current year and the beginning of the new year.