An officer jumps over the red carpet before Sarkozy arrives at Rashtrapati Bhavan. (Reuters)

New Delhi, Jan. 25: India’s grape belt in Nashik may soon benefit from the rich experience of Bordeaux, the second-largest wine-growing region in the world.

A university consortium in Bordeaux and the University of Pune have held talks on a joint programme on wine studies, Valerie Pecresse, the French minister of higher education and research, said today.

The wine processing programme is among several academic agreements that Indian and French institutions will sign during Nicolas Sarkozy’s visit.

India’s Council of Scientific and Industrial Research and the French National Scientific Research Centre today signed a pact for joint research on environment-friendly chemicals and new drugs.

The University of Bordeaux consortium hopes to sign an umbrella agreement with the University of Pune that will cover joint activities in information technology and software and wine processing, a university official said.“We’re looking forward to joint research and exchange of students and faculty,” Professor Singaravelou, vice-president of the University of Bordeaux told The Telegraph.

“The University of Pune covers Nashik district which is a major grape growing region of India,” said Vasudha Garde, director of the international centre of the University of Pune. “We’re hoping that wine growers in this country will gain from the experience of Bordeaux,” she said.

The University of Lyon 3 and the faculty of management studies at Delhi University are considering a joint masters qualification in retailing, French minister Pecresse said.

Delhi University is also working with Joseph Fourier University in Grenoble to launch joint masters degrees in nanotechnology and nuclear engineering and sustainable development, she added.