Prime Minister Narendra Modi being greeted by French Sports minister Thierry Braillard upon his arrival at the Paris Orly International airport in France on Friday. (PTI Photo)
A boat ride on the Seine river dubbed the "naav pe charcha" will be a highlight of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to France on the first leg of his three-nation tour. PM Modi arrived in Paris late last night and will hold talks with French President Francois Hollande and business leaders.
Talks on civil nuclear, defence and trade will be the focus and the PM is expected to push his "Make in India" to French companies in a big way during his 3-day visit.
PM Modi will not confine his visit to Paris. He will travel all the way to Toulouse in the south of France, where he will visit the Airbus factory. The PM will visit the French Space Centre and the UNESCO Headquarters.
In the north of France, he will visit a memorial for Indian soldiers who died in the First World War; he will be the first Indian prime minister to make this visit.
The boat ride on the Seine was reportedly President Hollande's idea. Heads of state are not often seen sailing down the river, which flows through the middle of one of the world's most charming cities, but PM Modi is believed to have wanted to make a trip through all the prominent tourist spots in Paris.
PM Modi has so far held "chai pe charchas" or talks over tea with world leaders including US president Barack Obama when he visited India earlier this year. The term borrows from Mr Modi's very successful campaign for the general elections, designed to highlight his humble beginnings as a tea seller.
From France PM Modi will head to Germany, where business and technology will be the focus of his engagements aimed at attracting participation in the 'Make in India' campaign.
On the third and last leg of his tour, PM Modi will travel to Canada, the first standalone visit by an Indian Prime Minister in over 42 years.