 This is the story of the Indian diaspora in France, which has many hues. In mainland France, it is about one lakh strong. Twenty thousand of them Indian passport holders. Many of them are students and professionals, largely in and around Paris and Bordeaux. But in the glittering French overseas territories Guadeloupe and Martinique in the Caribbean Sea and reunion in the Indian Ocean, the Indian diaspora is most substantial and their history different. All of them in their own way are making a difference. Population from Pondicherry came in the 50s and 60s and 70s onwards in metropolitan France. You have more recent migrants, North Indians, Gujaratis, Punjabis who came from the 80s onwards for business education. When we came here, it brought a lot of influx of French people and French culture, including liberty, equality and fraternity. You have to know that here, 300 years ago, it was a place where we came to picnic on Sunday. It is a symbolic and strong place in history, because over there, you have the view of the Indian Ocean and everyone arrived by this fabulous place. Gotham Sen is a man obsessed with cars, vintage cars. The fact that I come from Calcutta, from Bengal, somehow the same kinds of passions you find that you find in Calcutta, people getting obsessed with either soccer or politics or cinema, or women for the matter or whatever, music. It's the same kind of obsession the French have. Gotham has been exhibiting vintage cars in India and France for the last 20 years. The Indian market is very peculiar, it's peculiar in the Asian context. It's a market for small cars, essentially hatchbacks for diesel engine cars, with cars with manual transmission. And that's quite unique to, compared to the rest of Asia, is surprisingly very, very similar to the French market. The French are the best in Europe or in the world for making diesel engines, small cars, manual transmission cars. In the south of France, the beautiful Chathogamaj is a 200-year-old winery inheritance. The legacy now is in the hands of Ushalavi, a Singaporean of Indian origin, a challenge she has to face every day in a field that is primarily dominated by men. Wines were produced here at the property. It was a challenging experience to keep the property in the hands of women, especially being Indian. We have owned the property for several decades and we continue this ancient tradition of winemaking here at Chathogamaj. Wailushalavi continues the tradition of French wines. A Frenchman living in the heart of Puducherry is making the finest quality of fragrances. We started Maroma in 1976. Maroma started with very small means. We had absolutely no money to start that, but we could borrow money here and there in order to buy some raw material and start with incense. I must say that I'm very proud and happy to be here in India after these four years and having participated in all of that. We are not Indian, but we are also patriotic and we are inside ours. We are Indian, we are French and we are all that. Another French man in the heart of France is engaged in the development of another unusual business, film collaborations between France and India, which are fast becoming an important source of business for the economy. The biggest avenue when it comes to French-Indian relationships seems to be Indian shoots in France. Here in France, as you know, the Indian diaspora doesn't speak Hindi. They speak Tamil. That means that we had more Tamil movies shot in France than we had Hindi movies. What we do with Indian producers is what the film commission does. There it serves to be the first gate that will explain what it will be, who they can work with, who has worked with Indian production, what could be interesting. For any question related to film and TV production, we are Indian producers' best friends. Far away in the French overseas territory of the Union, Sanjay Odojee is the best friend of those interested in the final things of life. It was at the start a small family business that developed in the manufacturing sector and in the construction materials. Group Rava is a pillar of the Union's economy and an integral part of the Union society. This effortless movement between the two nations has led to a constant exchange in arts, culture, people, politics, business and more. France is one of the largest investors in India and for India, France is an important destination for investment. You'll find many companies now who find India as a good opportunity to share or to invest. At the same time, many companies from India are coming to France also to do sensing. And many companies, like CECAP GMI, they have created 53,000 jobs in hardly a few years in India. There are more than 100 Indian companies in France, including Wipro, Syntex and the Indian multinational conglomerate Tata. We have very old connections. For example, in the business life, Mr. Tata, Virgy Tata, was from a French mother and is not buried in Syntier-le-Père-Lachaise in Paris because he was our friend. He was educated in France and he was a very good speaker in French. Paul Jacoby is a member of Parliament in Paris and head of cultural affairs. This Indian connection is not just diplomatic but also personal, being married to an Indian wife. In India, every time I go to Gaugin, the Delhi, I am surprised by the change. The buildings, the technology, the flyovers, things like that. Mr. Arun Kumar Singh, the Indian Ambassador to France, emphasises the common values that have strengthened the history and partnership between the two nations. Since we've gained our independence, there is a new relationship. And especially since the end of the 1990s, the relationship has been extremely strong. We share common values, democracy, freedom, rule of law, there is a strong business dimension to the relationship. Space, civil nuclear energy, defence, France is among our major partners. In space, for example, India has launched 18 satellites from France. We have launched two satellites for France and we have done two joint satellites. The satellite is far away from us. The little faithful son of the heritage is back. We have been looking for it for a long time. So it is a community that has also strengthened, that has enriched. There was also the wisdom of the ancients. Those who arrived, really had the wisdom to hear. To say that we are in an island, we have to live together. We have an avenue that is common. 150 years ago, a group of indentured labourers arrived in the island of Reunion from the ports of Chennai and Kolkata. Far away in the French overseas territory of Guadeloupe, amongst the indentured labourers who landed on the coast was a lawyer and politician who defended workers and demanded French citizenship for Indians there. Records show that by the end of the 19th century, nearly 60,000 indentured Indian labourers were brought to the idyllic French Caribbean islands of Guadeloupe and Martinique. Both islands have a community of Hindus, but people of Indian descent have assimilated with the majority of the population of mixed ancestry. Those sugarcane is still produced in both Guadeloupe and Martinique. Tourism has become an important sector of the economy, where people of Indian origin are well represented, including transport and construction, vegetable trade, higher education, and professional positions. Guadeloupe, Martinique and Reunion share a deep connect with the people of India. Jean-Paul Virpoul has been a member of the Senate of France, representing the island of Reunion. He has been the mayor of Saint-Randre for the last 36 years. The late Gilbert Kanabadi, a migrant of Tamil origin, was one of the richest people in Reunion, with large sugarcane plantations and real estate business in Saint-Pierre. His life was a poignant story of India in Reunion. When I was born in Moncaprice, he was a member of the Senate. And I was able to buy the land with Moncaprice's land, with all the accounting books where the whole family was transferred. Tragically, Gilbert Kanabadi Mutian passed away soon after this interview. He lies buried in his beloved home of Reunion, symbolic of the meetings of many cultures. It was not just Indians like artist Shakti Burman, or the great painter S.H. Razaar, taking their art and culture to France. The French had left a significant part of their roots in India during the period of colonisation. Dr. Nalaam is a renowned surgeon and the recipient of the Chevalier de la Légion d'Honneur, the high-ranked artist. Dr. Nalaam is a renowned surgeon and the recipient of the Chevalier de la Légion d'Honneur, the high-ranked artist. After the defeat of French in Indochina, it was an automatic choice of Mendes France to liberate all the colonies and Pondicherry was liberated. But they still gave an option to the population who are willing to become French national. About 8,000 people opted for French nationality. As your Indian territory was under British rule, it was a very small part of India which was under French rule. I think it is also because we had some extent to be close to the Indian civilization. We had some extent to be close to the Indian freedom fighters but also we kept some good relationships with the development, with the Indian development after 1947 and the independence. But 40 years before the liberation of Pondicherry, now known as Puducherry, Indians fought in the battle of Novchapel during the First World War. The contribution of India was during the First War. It was very important. More than 10,000 soldiers died in France. That means they make a big effort, they fight well and that is important. The Indians came here. The Punjab regiments and the Gurkha came to France during the First World War and fought for the freedom of French people. We fought so the French colours would fly high. But India and France also contributed to a spirit of peace together. Nira Alfassa, fondly known as the mother, founded Auroville as part of the Shri Aurobindo society. French by birth and early education, I am Indian by choice and predilection. In my consciousness, there is no antagonism between the two. Auroville signifies the mother's deep spiritual connect with India, a connect that lies deep in the history of France in India. And lying deep in the history of India in France is a Ramakrishna mission in Gretz, founded by Swami Vivekananda. We have a man's university. It is a kind of approach to the ancient Indian traditional education system called Guru Kula. Giving their lives in service to the Ramakrishna Mission, a German musician, Narene and Dutch singer, Sarada. Ramakrishna Mission's teachings are propagated through the local Gandharvgaon radio station. The web radio is... we broadcast some meditation, some mantra singing, some philosophy lesson. Everything is guided by Swami Vita Mohananda. Impact is very strong now in France. It's becoming bigger and bigger and we are very happy. The radio stopped two years ago only and now we have more and more listeners. That's very, very nice. Apart from spiritual teaching, many other aspects of Indian culture are absorbed into the French mainstream through the Indian diaspora. It was extremely enriching for me. In fact, working on this Indian play when I came here, for instance, allowed me to look at stuff which is sometimes, you know, when things are too close to you and you can't look at them properly, you need to push them away in order to be able to look at them. And that allowed me that distance. In a sense, I grew up. I mean, there was a certain maturity that being in this theatre and doing theatre in France and having this link that France has with India, I think cultural link between France and India is a very old link. I think I got that gust being living in France because there I could exhibit myself and it had helped me to exhibit more Indian arts. I think that way I should thank the both of them. French people, for example, they're very difficult, very critical and they're perfectionists and I think that is what I got from Paris because I never compromise on details. Maybe that's what makes you grow. There's one very, very important part of my artistic existence is that all my main books, the important books on my work all done by French publisher, like one is done by Alba Michel, another is done by Ladi Frans. So all these books are a gift to me by all French publishers. My mother started her own NGO in India called Renaissance International which used to help Indian carrigers, Indian artisans to export, to make products that would sell in Europe because unfortunately the colour is there, the art is there, the know-how is there but the designs are too Indian to be sold abroad so I decided to work with her. Son of India's renowned general and former chief of army staff General J.J. Singh Vivekpal Singh is the first Sikh to be elected to political office in France. We've been elected since April in the new city here in Kondeshwar. We as a new party and I have started bringing in my little contribution, whatever my family taught me, whatever India taught me to a country where people are opening up to the new ideas and new concepts which are different for them. And at the same time, I'm sure I'm bringing into India a lot of the French cultures and the French values of work especially in the ethic and social responsibilities in the work. Anil Abhimanyu Sharma has made an exciting journey from a photographer in India to a leading epicurist in France. So one of the biggest challenges of teaching Indian cuisine is explain the basics of why we eat and how we eat in India and I explained to them why do we cut everything into small pieces because we eat with our fingers. So it's a journey for them. I don't just teach the technique the technical part of it. Detox to your core. So you guys, it's not a sport. It's your core. You massage your core from the inside. I try to show only the simple recipes because we have only three hours to share India with them I would like to share cuisine with them and I would like to share the health aspect which is three totally different things. Catering to the popular interest in French cuisine is Pinakindesai who has opened a chain of successful coffee shops in Paris. To do any business we need a bank. France's direct bank is ready to work with us. And for the finance without guarantee we are ready to work with them. Because in the years that they have seen our work they have offered us to work with them openly. It's a long story passionate love story with the language first with the Bengali and then with the French neither India nor France is my homeland is the French language is my home land today Why? Because I don't speak like a true Indian anymore. At the same time I don't want to be a French I don't want to be a Frenchie in that sense. Somehow it's mixed blooded. I'm not mixed blooded by Bach but I'm mixed blooded by culture now. Sabine Armudam whose ancestors came as indentured labourers now teaches yoga in reunion. A few years ago I yoga brings me a lot of mental, spiritual well I really need it every day. We do studies on yoga and we realize that yoga comes to solve some problems even psychological problems. The people of India learn the French game Pétanque Pétanque Let's say in the Indian community it's one of the games of leisure I would say because everyone finds themselves after dinner. So it's more to relax to meet with friends and play with everyone. A different ball, a different place, a different spirit as cricket takes its tentative steps in France. Most of the things here are Asians you can see Pakistan Sri Lankans, Indians, Bangladesh everyone and of course there are British people also. Mostly when I talk about cricket to my French colleagues they ask me if it's a croquet croquet it's a French game but mostly I try to explain them by relating to baseball. We quite explain them we have lots of translations words that we use in cricket we have the translation for example the stems we call it as Giché so they come and watch the matches during the weekends with us and they enjoy the game. We are also promoting on behalf of France we are promoting the game. Like professional cricket the ethos of the present Indian diaspora in France is also professional. Aided considerably by the work of the Indian professional association in Paris, Maison Doulan headed by director Bikas Sanyal offers a window to higher education and opportunity in France to young people from India. Since I joined this school was to promote relationship between India and France. My first visit that I made officially on behalf of ESCP was to Ayam Ahmadabad I was the first school I think where we signed an agreement with Ayam Ahmadabad dates back to more than 30 years and since then we have now official collaboration with 7 business schools in India. All Indian students who we recruit to the CAD system we give them automatically a scholarship of 50% and in addition to that we have double degree agreements which is something quite unique that means they get degrees from the both institutions. Maya Sazari is the director of SIWA ROI the research institute in reunion that has collaborated with the Indian institute of science on an important exchange program. We were welcomed to the Indian institute of science by Professor Srinivasan and since then we have led scientific partnerships and we also have the first co-tutel of the French thesis i.e. the first co-diplomation between France and India. Along with his partner Rene Dr. Srinivas Kaveri has come to India to take forward the scientific collaboration between France and India as the director of the national centre for scientific research. The union between India and France is absolutely not at all on the contrary, I see that both the countries have perfected this lot of potential to work together the relation between France and India in science dates back to seven years why probably it has been further strengthened and has the relation between this. Probably known names such as Raman Uchan, Raman Grashekar. They are shaped the history of science for India. I'm really proud to be the creator of DR1 the first neuro-inspired robot that purifies the air and takes care of indoor environment. DR is a perfect example of the collaboration that PIOs can have with other countries and now this is an example of the collaboration between France and India. France and the Indians are so proud of their independence I think through cinema through literature and this is maybe the most important aspect of India which I'm very much appreciative in France through that literature they enter in a different world so France has to globalize and thanks to this Indian diaspora they get some understanding of what is exactly the world the world is different from the French values so you have to deal with these non-French values if you want to be in the 21st century power. Philippe Advani exemplifies the new professional of Indian origin in France literally flying sky high Airbus has established a tremendous relationship of confidence as far as commercial aircraft is concerned and I think now it's a trusted partner of India and contributes to the growth of the industry the area which is wanting today is on the sovereign side of industry so I think on the defense side on the space side helicopter side so I think this is a real area of commitment for the relations now what I've been doing for the past years is that I've been setting up what we call global sourcing and the idea here is to distribute aerospace added value across the world I would not be surprised if I had said that India is obviously one of the leading destinations for us so we've been opening some organizations in various countries India was the first one and now since our most tender childhood because at the time of the festival the music was there present the accounts were present for example Baltamul the story of Ramay Sita we didn't know the existence of India but there was a language a language that was there and since then the Indian accounts were present the reality to follow on our content tonight on India tomorrow is also the day we get our sound what I did for me is this is my skin color and both of them are white I just went back once in India almost 10 years ago and went back to the orphanage I stayed at when I was a baby because I need to know if my biological mom or dad are still alive and I tried to ask the sisters if they had kept any papers and she was so sorry to tell me I didn't find anything the complex contours of the ancient connection between France and India has interesting manifestations from a rediscovery of identity the journey of the Indian diaspora in France has taken many turns as it continues to reinvent itself I was born and brought up in South India and grew up here all my life and have lived in India all my life never lived in France but both my parents are French so I grew up speaking French at home artistically and creatively I've always loved French cinema and I think that's been a great influence on my life as an actor and then I always say that my skin is white my heart is brown there's a lot of French in it I'm a great believer although India doesn't know France that much France doesn't know India that much but I still feel in the collective unconscious in an unsaid sort of a way I think there's a great bond between France and India which will come to the fore one day I am attached to my Indian nationality at the same time I feel very French I belong to the society and yet I don't belong to it so it gives me a very privileged status because I can observe India from an external eye be critical of it and yet part of that society and I can do the same with French society somewhere I'm an insider but I'm also an outsider and I love that feeling of being inside and outside at the same time