French firm Lafarge may set up cement unit in Karnataka

Friday, July 11 1997

French firm Lafarge may set up cement unit in Karnataka

OUR BUREAU

BANGALORE, July 10: French cement giant Lafarge has evinced a keen interest in setting up a plant in Karnataka. The company has a liaison office in the country. Lafarge managing director Benard Aumonier said the company is awaiting a response from the Karnataka government. The state is an ideal location for cement plants since it has substantial limestone reserves.

Aumonier said Lafarge would invest in the country only if the centre or the state government guaranteed fair returns for the project. He said that the company would bring state-of-the-art technical expertise. It will also invest $100 per tonne that is required in the initial stages of a cement project.Aumonier was accompanying the French ambassador Claude Blanchemasion, who was in the city to inaugurate the French Trade Commission.Alcatel, another French major, is also planning to expand its services in the country, according to Yves de Ricaud, French counsellor for economics. The company has established its presence in the country in the areas of switching equipment, cellular network equipment, telecom networks for basic service and GSM handsets.Aerospatiale has plans to expand its operations in the country according to managing director Philippe Advani.

The company is the world leader in the manufacture of communication and broadcasting satellites. The company currently has a liaison office in the country, but plans are afoot to expand its operations through a domestic partner, he said.According to the French amabassador, several French companies are on the lookout for a suitable location in West Bengal to set up an international airport in collaboration with a domestic partner. The French ambassador said that the delegation would help increase awareness about French businesses in the country. He said that there was huge scope for co-operation between the French and domestic companies in the field of energy conservation. The ambassador met with state secretary for Energy KP Singh on Thursday evening.