Our growth was slow in the past
But India now is growing fast.
Inflation which was on the rise
Has skillfully been cut to size.
The interest rates have stayed quite low.
Technology, as you all know,
Has helped bring prices crashing down
Consumers have all gone to town
And durables are on a roll.
A car in each garage’s the goal.
For now a days folks want a lot.
Not just a chicken in the pot.
For Henri IV that was the slogan
But now we all demand a Logan!
For me this is a perfect sign
That France and India can combine.
Now France is known for luxury
And though it has technology-
Airbus, Ariane and TGV.
Alas that’s not quite the way
In which the world looks at France.
I think both countries can advance,
If both of us work more in tandem.
Our approach should not be random.
Now France has knowledge, France has style
And India goes the extra mile.
We have the brains, we have the brawn,
We have the market, we are the dawn.
IFTA, IFCCI and Alliance
Can help good companies from France
Build bridges to their counterparts
In science, commerce and the arts.
The opportunities are ample.
Today’s a very good example.
Our special thanks to our chief guest
Indeed he is the very best
Example of a great énarque,
A man who always made his mark.
In government and at Renault
Where he put on the greatest show.
With his grand uncle good Albert,
Louis can surely claim to share
Both courage and a strong conviction.
He was prepared to cause some friction.
He never chose the easy way.
In hindsight one can safely say,
His willingness to wield his sword
At Billancourt and Villevorde
Gave his Renault another chance
To save this industry in France.
And chosing Ghosn to be his man
To save Nissan in Japan,
Was certainly a masterstroke
That saved Nissan from going broke.
Louis’s a man of many parts.
He is a patron of the arts.
When asked to lead he couldn’t say,“Non”
To the festival of Avignon.
He is the head of the Louvre’s friends
And his free time he often spends
In rapt attention at the stage.
In the interval he’ll open a page
Of Shakespeare and continue reading
Unlike the others he’s not proceeding
To have a bite or a few pegs,
Not even to stretch his long legs.
My thanks to IFTA and IFCCI,
To Messieurs Nanda and Kabraji,
To Jean-Charles Demarquis
Our most illustrious CG.
And of course to Mr. Schweitzer
For you have been such a delight. Sir!
