HYDERABAD: Have you ever thought of a high-speed train hurtling past several stations at a breakneck speed of 250 km per hour on the Indian railway tracks? Should a double-deck train zooming across the green fields in the countryside remain a far-fetched dream?

No, certainly not. Or, at least that is how the Government of France perceives India to be in the next few decades. There is a huge potential for French companies to participate in the development of infrastructure like water and sewerage treatment and distribution, urban transportation and railways, in India, says Diana Beaulieu-Milisavljevic, area manager of Asia-Pacific region, French Ministry of Transport, Infrastructure, Tourism and Sea.

Speaking to The Hindu on the sidelines of a two-day seminar on Urban Development and Railways here on Monday, she said: "We don't look at India as a market to sell our technology. We want to be a partner in these areas. There will be a day when Indo-French partnership can look towards a third market."

Focus on SEZs

Delineating on the opportunities, she explained that French firms could set up shop in the Special Economic Zones in the realms of research and development, manufacturing and other areas in India.

The French Railways, SNCF, had entered into a memorandum of understanding with the Indian Ministry of Railways to work on projects like fire simulation on coaches, training for railway engineers, railway electrification, energy saving, development of eco-friendly toilets, etc. The SNCF was already participating in accounting reforms of Indian Railways.

While the Japanese Shinkansen (high-speed train) could run on dedicated tracks, the French high-speed trains could be operated on the existing track with little modifications.

Projects on anvil

SYSTRA, which participated in the development of Delhi Metro Railway, proposed to participate in the Hyderabad Metro rail project, while ALSTOM, a leader in high-speed coach manufacturing, planned to leverage its strength in making rolling stock.

Ms. Beaulieu-Milisavljevic said that VEOLIA was working on a 24X7 drinking water project in Karnataka, companies like Degremont and Memoris Sce India were already into water treatment and mapping of underground pipeline networks in the country.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail