DIMAPUR: A five member French delegation led by Marc Boudin, director of Alliance Française du Bengale, visited Nagaland from June 12 to 17, 2026 and held a series of high level meetings focusing on culinary traditions, tourism and hospitality, sports and preventive medicine, French language and professional development, international media promotion, and institutional partnerships.
The delegation included Linda Myriam Bortoletto, traveller and explorer; Olivier Karim Thienot, founder of l’École du vin de France; Damien Laurent Marie Monnot, Chief Medical Officer of Olympique de Marseille; and Moitrayee Dhar, cultural manager, Alliance Française du Bengale.
A roundtable meeting chaired by Abu Metha, chairman of IDAN, brought together senior government officials and private stakeholders. Metha stressed on partnerships, people to people ties and diplomacy, while advisor IPR & Soil & Water Conservation, Daochier I. Imchen highlighted initiatives such as cine fests, film festivals, animation and gaming, inviting French collaboration.
Marc Boudin described Nagaland as a “region of culture” and said the visit aimed not only to promote French culture but also to link Naga and French traditions through exchanges and partnerships.
Other attendees included Theja Meru, Chairman of TaFMA; Kvulo Lorin, Chairman of NIDC; Rajeev Ranjan, CEO of Niathu Group of Hotels; and senior officials from Art & Culture, IPR, Tourism, Horticulture, Youth Resources & Sports, Industries & Commerce, Nagaland Olympic Association, Nagaland Tourism Association, WENN, Heritage Beverages of Nagaland, The White Owl, among others.
The visit, supported by Niathu Group of Hotels as industry partner, featured activities including culinary appreciation and food pairing sessions, a football enthusiasts’ panel discussion, and the inauguration of a Football Corner at Ruby Café 24×7.
It may be noted that the visit was a follow up to the Country Partner Business Roundtable held during the Hornbill Festival last year, where the French Ambassador to India had led a high level delegation exploring areas of collaboration with Nagaland.
