Paris [France], June 18 (ANI): Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Shipping and Logistics giant CMA CGM, Rodolphe Saade, on Thursday said that he discussed expanding the supply chain further in India, in a bilateral meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in France's capital city Paris.

Saade, who heads the world's third-largest carrier, headquartered Marseille, termed the meeting with PM as a 'great honour' and said that the discussion focussed on developing various initiatives in India, particularly expansion in maritime shipping.

'It's a great honour to meet with the Prime Minister to discuss our development in India. We have been serving this market for many years, and we are looking forward to expanding further. We are developing many initiatives, of which the building of 1700 TU container in a shipyard in India. We look forward to not only building those ships but eventually building even more,' Saade told ANI.

The Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said that the duo discussed bolstering cooperation in 'maritime shipping.' He said that while PM Modi highlighted the Group's growing presence, Saade stressed the plans of expanding work with India, including expanding logistics and innovation in the supply chain.

'PM @narendramodi met Mr Rodolphe Saade, Chairman and CEO of CMA CGM Group. Discussions focused on strengthening cooperation in maritime shipping, logistics and global supply chains. PM noted the Group's strong and growing presence in India. Mr Saade highlighted @cmacgm's plans for India, including ongoing investments, expansion plans and initiatives that are leading to skill development, shipbuilding, expansion in logistics and innovation in supply chain,' the MEA spokesperson wrote in a post on X.

https://x.com/MEAIndia/status/2067560699354570864

The high-level meeting took place during the Prime Minister's visit to the French capital.

The CMA CGM Group is a global player in sea, land, air and logistics solutions. As the world's third largest shipping company, it serves more than 420 ports across 5 continents with a fleet of over 650 vessels.

Earlier in the day, PM Modi also held meetings with Benoit Bazin, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Saint-Gobain, Martin Sion, the Chief Executive Officer of Alstom.

With Bazin the discussions focused on opportunities in the materials and construction sector, with a particular emphasis on sustainability.

'PM noted Saint-Gobain's strong presence and investments in India, which are creating opportunities for Indian youth. Mr Bazin shared Saint-Gobain's plans for further investments and expansion in India,' Jaiswal said in a statement.

The discussions with Sion, said MEA spokesperson Jaiswal, 'focused on opportunities in mobility and railway modernisation. PM noted Alstom's significant investments and manufacturing presence in India, which are contributing to job creation and the growth of India's rail sector.'

Sion, Jaiswal said 'shared Alstom's plans for further expansion and investments in India.'

The Prime Minister also interacted with Mistral AI Co-Founder and CEO Arthur Mensch on artificial intelligence, innovation and responsible AI governance.

'PM highlighted the opportunities in India's growing AI ecosystem. Mr Arthur Mensch expressed Mistral AI's strong interest in collaborating with India and partnering with Indian companies to drive innovation and expand AI capabilities,' Jaiswal said in a statment.

The meetings with the leading French business leaders in Paris today are part of efforts to deepen India-France economic and industrial cooperation. (ANI)