French consulate in Bengaluru marks 10 years

The occasion was celebrated with a virtual event.

The Consulate General of France marked 10 years of its presence in Bengaluru with a virtual event hosted by the French embassy in Delhi, on Wednesday.

The celebrations coincided with the Bastille Day celebrations held in Paris.

The consulate is located in Vasanthnagar, and covers Karnataka, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh.

Dr Marjorie Vanbaelinghem, consul general, said these are “unusual times” when one is “unable to meet or raise a toast to Indo-French friendship.” The consulate in Bangalore had to adapt, almost reinvent itself in the current crisis of Covid, she said. She thanked French firms for their assistance in delivering oxygen generators to hospitals in the region. “A lot has been accomplished in the last decade, but given the immense potential of the country in so many sectors, there is so much more to do together,” she said.

Its work

The Consulate provides services and assistance
to around 750 French citizens in Karnataka, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. It processed 54,000 visas in 2019.