JOIN USSmitten by the dynamic culture
Emilien Coquard, who hails from France, has been living in India for the last four years. In Bengaluru for the last two years, he is taking every day as a learning experience and is relishing the sights and sounds that it has to offer.
The CEO and co-founder of ‘The Scalers’, a start-up dedicated to the growth of start-ups, Emilien’s decision to be here was a conscious move. Looking back, he has absolutely no regrets.
Coming from Lyon, Emilien says Bengaluru is different in terms of work culture as well. “I moved from Lyon to Chennai and then to Bengaluru. I loved the change of place and am glad that life is so vibrant here,” he says excitedly.
Initially, the coming together of many cultures here was a surprise for him. “Back home, we are used to just one culture. We share the same cuisine, language and even beliefs. On the contrary, one cannot talk about India as one culture, be it cuisines or customs,” he says.
“My friends tell me that India is all about ‘unity in diversity’, and it truly reflects in the way people live here. It’s heart-warming to see people living in harmony,” he adds.
Recalling his life in Lyon, he says that it is a dynamic city which is culturally rich.
It is where cinema and theatre had its origins. Calling it a mini- Paris, he says, “Lyon has the best of universities and a lot of places of interest.”“When everyone talks about France, everything is Paris-centric and its life. But life in Lyon is very different.It is less stressful, cheaper and a wonderful place to settle down,” he informs.
Like other expatriates here, Emilien didn’t know much about India. However his transition to a new culture was smooth and pleasant.“I met a lot of nice people here, who were very open-minded and co-operative. Though I was nervous in the beginning, it wasn’t hard to settle down into this way of life,” he says.
Though he says that he will “never be able to understand how certain things function here”, he has a “grasp on how to go about things now”.Emilien says that it is endearing to see the number of entrepreneurs here, “be it the ‘chaiwallah’, the ‘rickshawallah’ or the guy who sells momos on the road”.
“They are all marketing and selling their products themselves, which is very unique. Back home, people are not that willing to take such initiatives. It could also be because of the legal problems attached to it. People here are morek driven
and I am impressed by this dynamic nature of the City,” he says.
“Be it in business or personal life, people are very family-oriented. The opinion of the family members, their impact on one’s life and the relationship one shares with them are much treasured. In France, the concept is different,” he says.
Emilien loves his work space in Indiranagar. He also enjoys hanging out in places like ‘The Black Rabbit’, ‘Toit’, ‘Vapour’, ‘The Tao Terraces’, ‘The Glass House’ and
‘Loft 38’.
Associating French cuisine with simplicity, he says,
“In every dish, there is one dominant item or ingredient, unlike here. In India I have noticed that it is a rich conglumeration of flavours, even if it is a combo meal.”
He does not forget to say how deeply he values his relationship with friends here. “I came alone. My parents, siblings and relatives are spread out and settled in southern France and Paris. So meeting new people here and having close friends is a blessing. These friendships are one of the highlights of my life in the City,” he says.
“I am excited to meet people and love interacting with them. I’m like a software developer, hence it is also exciting to see how IT is booming. In fact, in Bengaluru, if you threw a stone on the road, it could hit a software engineer,” he jokes.
He has also had the chance to meet his countrymen here. “It is a unique feeling to meet people of my country here. They are away from home because they choose to be and that makes a lot of difference in their lives.”
He adds that people who choose to study and work here have a different outlook to life when compared to those back home.
“These people are more open, driven and looking forward to enjoying their stay here. India is a country that has a lot to give to you,” he says.