Vive la langue! Speak French, go places
Emmanuel Macron as chief guest on Friday at the Republic Day celebrations, talks of deepening the 25-year-long strategic partnership is de rigueur. Along with defence, cutting-edge technology and clean energy mitigation exchanges, the French language itself became a strategic tool at the granular, citizenry level. In this context, Macron's announcement of plans to encourage Indians to pursue higher studies in France and to learn French is tres bonne.
For Indians, French provides yet another passport to growing opportunities in the world — and a conduit for taking bits of India across the world adding to a growing Maha Akhand Bharat.
Duolingo's India Report Card 2022 found that French has the highest number of learners in India after English and Hindi. For Macron, growing interest among Indians in French touches on a project close to his heart. Relaunching French as the international language has been one of his prime cultural projects.
Mastering French not only opens opportunities for Indians in France but in Belgium, Switzerland, parts of Canada and other Francophonic territories too.
Both Narendra Modi and Macron believe in reinvigorated multilateralism centred on multiple poles of power, institutions and engagements. India's growing appetite for the French language, and Macron's goal of 30,000 Indian students by 2030 in France, is such an engagement. It is in keeping with the DNA of the India-France relationship — leveraging national strengths for mutual benefit.
