Lettres indiennes INDIANDESK™‘s newsletter – N° 1 – 1 st Quarter 2014 – FREE – English version WHY INVEST IN FRANCE ? Despite being often presented in the Anglo-Saxon press as a country in decline, France is among the most integrated and most invested industrialized countries in globalization. A nation of tradition and technological innovation, France remains a major agricultural country with an impressive industrial know- how and innovative spirit which has enabled it to solidify its place at the forefront of the race between globalized economies. As a rich country and enterprising country, France, like India, has an inclusive economy. This is why in France, as in India, family firms have a vital role in economic development. In addition, in our two nations the role of the state is strategic in limiting excessive specialization and maintaining a wide range of industrial sectors. In the words of the French president in his interview with The Times of India (February 13, 2013) : “Indians will find in France the best technology, a high level of infrastructure, a workforce of exceptional quality and, what’s more, in the heart of the largest economy in the world : that of Europe.” Last, beyond the strictly economic and financial aspects, France remains a country where life is good. So come discover France. You will not be disappointed! FRANCE – INDIA : A LOVE AFFAIR ? France is now home to nearly 100 Indian companies. NDIAN COMPANIES IN FRANCE There are nearly 100 Indian companies doing business in France, employing over 5,600 people. The number of new job- creating investment projects was unchanged in 2011, with 12 new projects that will generate 188 jobs. In 2011, India was the 13th largest foreign investor in France by project numbers. Half of all Indian investment projects were in the software and IT services sector. Indian companies prioritized site creations in 2011, which accounted for over 83% of projects. FRANCE AS A RECIPIENT OF INDIAN INVESTMENT IN EUROPE In 2011, France was the third largest recipient of job-creating investment from India, receiving 11% of Indian projects in Europe. The top recipients of Indian investments were the United Kingdom (38%) and Germany (19%). SELECTED INVESTMENT PROJECTS IN 2011 : ONMOBILE, GLOBAL LTD, GEOMETRIC LTD, ITC INFOTECH INDIA LTD About Aerospace in France • Largest export industry in France (77% of sales, with 70% of the workforce located in France) • Largest trade surplus (€18 billion) • Substantial investments in production and R&D (17% of sales) • 13,000 newly hired employees in 2011 and a 3.2% increase in the total workforce (162,000 people) • 2011 results confirm the recovery that began in 2010 • 2011 comparable sales increased by 3.3% to €38.5 billion, with €23.5 million in exports and driven by the civil sector, which represents 72% of the total • Space activity remained stable at €4 billion in sales; the commercial sector represents 60% of sales • More than 50% of European space industry sales Equipment manufacturers represent: • €11.4 billion in sales, an increase of 13.8% • €14.3 billion in orders (€6.3 billion from exports), an increase of 20.5%, 87% from the civilian market More information in : http://www.sayouitofranceinnovation.com/ INDIANDESK™ : A NEW PARTNERSHIP This is a new service offered by cLé réseau d’avocats, due to M. C. Lèguevaques, lawyer at Paris and Ph. D (https://www.academia.edu/3574977/CV_Christophe_Leguevaques_2013_). In 2011, he published a “VADE MECUM INDIA”, (https://www.academia.edu/3572931/Vademecum_INDIA),. His work aims at bringing closer France and India, both economically and culturally. According to this target, His Excellency the Ambassador of India in France visited the Midi-Pyrénées area last year to discover its economy and the fact this “Région” is not only devoted to aircraft industry (http://www.objectifnews.com/node/7480). Indeed, Midi-Pyrénées is a leader in agriculture, water treatment and the pharmaceutical sector too. M. C. Lèguevaques has given the management of the Desk to an English-speaking junior lawyer, Olivier Hirtzlin-Pinçon. The Desk is dedicated to help the French firms in their settlement and/or development in India and vice-versa for the Indian firms interested in doing business in France. In that purpose, INDIANDESK™ will use the skills and competences of the different partners of the cLé réseau d’avocats. The Millau bridge, an example of the French innovation for all “Attractiveness is a signal of confidence and a pride for our country. We have no fear of investments coming to France, we do not want to protect ourselves, we do not have a narrow conception of our national interest that is a part of the success of a country.” President Francois Hollande Strategic Council for Attractiveness (17 February 2014) FRANCE OFFERS THE BEST RESEARCH TAX CREDIT IN EUROPE ● Covers 30% of all R&D costs up to €100 million, and 5% above this threshold. As of 2013, innovation expenses incurred by SMEs are also eligible for the research tax credit (up to €80,000 of tax credit a year). ● France’s research tax credit is also a powerful incentive for research partnerships, as all expenditure contracted out to public-sector bodies is double-counted, thereby effectively doubling the research tax credit. Salaries paid to junior final-year doctoral and post- doctoral research personnel on their first permanent contract are quadruple-counted when calculating the research tax credit for two years. ● The research tax credit and “innovative new company” (JEI) schemes have been fixed for five years to provide businesses with visibility and legal security. ● France’s public investment bank, bpifrance, offers two solutions to promote the use of the research tax credit by micro-enterprises and SMEs, by guaranteeing and pre-financing the research tax credit. ● More than 15,000 businesses have received the research tax credit, declaring €18.39 billion of research expenditure in 2011. Total tax relief for research tax credit recipients amounts to €5.17 billion. ● France is ranked first in Europe for corporate tax rates on R&D operations, taking into account tax bases, depreciation allowances, tax exemptions and tax credits. (Source: KPMG, Competitive Alternatives, 2012) ● France was ranked sixth in the world in 2013 for the average cost of employing a researcher once tax incentives are taken into account, with lower costs than in the United States, Japan and and Germany. ( Source: French National Association for Technical Research) 2013