French firms evince interest to invest in Andhra Pradesh

Vijayawada: French companies have evinced interest in collaborating with the Andhra Pradesh government and making investments in smart cities, urban infrastructure, urban development, solar, renewable energy and sports.

A delegation of 53 companies and organisations led by French ambassador to India, Alexandre Zieglar visited the state on Wednesday and met Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu and senior officials.

They also showed interest in investments in sectors like transportation, water, energy, waste, information technology and communications.

Many firms showed interest in collaborating with the state government in the development of state capital Amaravati and metro rail projects in Visakhapatnam and Vijayawada.

Nicolas Forage, Director- South Asia, French Agency for Development conveyed interest in contributing financially to the development of Amaravati, according to a statement from the office of the chief minister.

The French ambassador was impressed by the ambitious Amaravati development project and lauded Chandrababu Naidu's vision to develop a greenfield modern capital city.

The French companies made presentation on their potential areas of collaboration.

Naidu was impressed with the innovative ideas and technologies showcased by the French companies and welcomed their request to partner with the government of Andhra Pradesh.

He requested the French companies to sign MoUs with the Andhra Pradesh Economic Development Board and seek assistance on streamlining their entry and investments in the sunrise state.

Naidu said Andhra Pradesh an ideal place for investments with long coast line and abundant mineral resources. He welcomed the French business delegation to invest in various sectors in the state by assuring necessary support and clearances within 14 days.