Tuesday, March 12, 2013

French Toast to India’s Defence

While Sarkozy and his Aides may claim that The Much Awaited India Visit is more of a Leisure Trip than the Usual Strategic Trip of Premiers, One cannot refute France’s Hawk-Like Attempt to do an Obamanomics as far as Business is Concerned. And India Should Support That, Anyway!

There is a lot in common between US President Barack Obama and the French President Nicolas Sarkozy as far as their state visit to India is concerned. Both of them are apparently at their career’s ebb. While Obama is struggling with approval rating below 50%, and has suffered a major set back in the mid-term election, the case of French premier is no different. Sarkozy’s current popularity rating is at a record low (as per Ifop opinion polls for Journal da Dimanche, Sarkozy has equalled his predecessor Jacques Chirac for the most unpopular president since 1958) and if the latest reports are any indicator, then he is currently embroiled in a potentially career ending corruption scandal. All these after having pushed through the pension reform in the teeth of furious street opposition – much akin to his American counterpart who managed to push through his signature healthcare bill ObamaCare. And of course, both Obama and Sarkozy are dear friends. By design or by default, India happens to be their soul searching destination amidst all the trying circumstances back home. ‘Soul-searching destination’ only for the layman; the fact is that in a hyper-competitive and economically integrated world, neither the US nor France would like to miss out on opportunities of profiting that India has to offer – a whopping $112 billion (India’s budget for military procurement) over the next 6 years.

The economic environments prevailing in both the countries make the respective state visit to India all the more important. The national debt of France is projected to be equal to 84.2% of its GDP (the French GDP is approximately $2.55 trillion) and its industrial production is already in the negative terrain, unemployment is currently pegged at 9.8% – these statistic coupled with the fact that Sarkozy would like to get himself re-elected in 2012 and be in command of the Élysée Palace (much like Barack Obama would like to remain in total control of the White House post 2012 presidential elections) make it all the more imperative for the unpopular Sarkozy to attempt to re-brand his government. What better an opportunity than India (Chindia, if we’re permitted – as per Chinese President Hu Jintao’s recent visit to France wherein contracts worth $20 billion were signed, it is but apparent that both the countries have buried the hatchet and have definitely patched up their erstwhile strained relations) which aims to increase its defence budget from 2% to 3% of GDP, and thereby grab a pie of this huge investment and present it to the almost moribund French industrial sector.

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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2012.
An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri
and Arindam Chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).

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