PM Modi talks UPI adoption, Marseille consulate, work visa, Kylian Mbappe to Indian diaspora in France

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is on a two-day visit to Paris, made a host of announcements to strengthen the relations between India and France. PM Modi has been invited by France President Emmanuel Macron to partake in the Bastille Day celebrations as a Guest of Honour. Apart from PM Modi, a tri-services contingent will also travel to the European country and be part of the Bastille Day Parade. 

PM Modi and President Macron are scheduled to take part in wide-ranging discussions. Modi and Macron had met several times in the past, with the most recent meeting in Japan’s Hiroshima in May 2023 during the G-7 Summit. He will also meet France Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne, President of the Senate Gerard Larcher and President of the National Assembly Yael Braun-Pivet. 

The prime minister will also meet leading CEOs from both the countries as well as French personalities. He addressed the Indian diaspora at the La Seine Musicale -- a performing arts centre on an island in the river Seine. 

Here’s a lowdown of what PM Modi said to the Indian community in France: 

1. PM Modi announced the agreement for the use of UPI in France, and spoke about how it will enable cashless instant payments for tourists. "In France, an agreement has been made for the use of India's UPI. It will be started from the Eiffel Tower in the coming days, and now Indian tourists would be able to make payments in Rupees, through UPI, in Eiffel Tower," said PM Modi.
2. Modi announced the opening of a new Indian consulate in Marseille in France. France currently has only one Indian consulate – in Paris. 
3. Indian students who are pursuing a masters course in France will now get five-year long post-study work visas, PM Modi announced. 
4. PM Modi spoke about French footballer Kylian Mbappe and said that more people in India are fans of the star footballer than in France. “French football player Kylian Mbappe is superhit among the youth in India. Mbappe is probably known to more people in India than in France,” he told the crowd. 
5. India is the mother of democracy and a model of diversity, said Modi. “This is our very big strength,” he said, noting that over 32,000 newspapers and 900 news channels exist in the country in over 100 languages and that Tamil is the world's oldest language. Indians are fulfilling their dreams on the basis of this plurality, he said. 
6. "Who will not be proud to know that India has become the fifth largest economy from 10 in over nine years," Modi said, speaking about the $5-trillion economy vision. 
7. He called for investments in India. Addressing the Indian community, the Prime Minister said, “Today every rating agency is saying that India is a bright spot. You invest in India now. This is the opportune time. Those who invest early will reap benefits.”
8. Modi also recalled when he first became a member of the Alliance Francaise Centre in Ahmedabad in 1981. "My attachment to France is quite old, and I can never forget it. Around 40 years ago, a cultural centre of France was started in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, and the first member of that very centre is today talking to you," he said.
9. PM Modi also asked the Indian diaspora to act as ambassadors and boost tourism in India. He asked them to encourage their French friends to visit the country to experience its diversity and history and traditions.
10. He also paid tribute to the Indian soldiers who laid down their lives on French soil during World War  I. The Punjab Regiment that took part in the war will participate in the Bastille Day parade on Friday, he underscored. 

Also read: PM Modi in Paris: France adopts UPI; Indian tourists will be able to pay in Rupees

Also read: PM Modi receives France's highest award Grand Cross of the Legion of Honour