more-in Around 60 big and small French defence and aerospace companies are in Bengaluru scouting for potential local partners. On Tuesday, they interacted with representatives of around 100 Indian medium to small enterprises on collaborating in military, civil aviation and space sectors, according to the hosts — Confederation of Indian Industry and Society of Indian Defence Manufacturers (SIDM). SIDM Director General Lt. General Subrata Saha (retd.) said, over the next decade, both sides have a business opportunity worth ?1.7 lakh crore in the aerospace and defence sectors. The Defence Production Policy, aimed at self-reliance, targets exports worth ?35,000 crore. Indian companies have been invited to take part in a big way in the 2019 Paris air show. Noting that the city has a growing presence of aerospace and defence industries, France's Consul General in Bengaluru François Gautier said a big French delegation would take part in next year's Aero India show. He said the University of Toulouse is sponsoring a Ph.D scholarship in the Indian Institute of Science. The French business team began a four-day, four-city tour on April 16 as part of an India-France agreement signed in Delhi in March during their President's tour. It is led by original equipment manufacturers Airbus, Ariane Group, Dassault Aviation, MBDA, Safran and Thales under the umbrella of their aerospace industries association GIFAS.

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