Prabhu invites the French to ‘open shop’ in India

Railways minister Suresh Prabhu on Monday invited French companies to 'open shop' in India to execute railway projects including building high speed rail corridors, besides cooperating in areas of safety and customer service.

Railways minister Suresh Prabhu on Monday invited French companies to “open shop” in India to execute railway projects including building high speed rail corridors, besides cooperating in areas of safety and customer service.

“I am trying to remove inhibitions that doing business in India is a challenge. Once we work on it, you will realize that doing business in India is not that cumbersome,” Prabhu said in his address at an Indo-French rail seminar.

“Solution to every problem is possible. We can work together. But for that, you must come here first. You can have seminars and go back to France then nothing will happen,” he added.

Prabhu said there were multiple areas in the rail sector where India and France can cooperate and work jointly. “Let’s find solutions and prepare completely actionable areas supported by corporate entities and set up shops here... then we can always work together to make it happen,” said Prabhu.

Seeking French cooperation in the areas of safety, customer service, improving communication network, and building high-speed train network, he emphasized that issues concerning passenger safety were of paramount importance and an “inherent obligation” of the public transporter.

“No one can compromise safety of any kind in the interest of commuters who board the train and want to reach their destinations safely,” he said.