After making Pondicherry their colony in the past, French nationals are once again coming to India, though this time their intentions are not sinister - they are certainly not landing here to rule. They just want to work here and enjoy their stay in the capital and other parts of the NCR.
They are coming in big numbers and giving the dull rental scene of the posh South Delhi and New Delhi areas a huge push. They are also making their presence felt in Noida and Gurgaon. While French nationals have been coming here for long, both as diplomats and as senior officials of big-ticket MNCs, this time there numbers have multiplied manifold and not necessarily in those avocations. There is another notable difference among the present crop of French nationals - some are into business while others are working for NGOs.
The good thing about them is that they are not very fastidious about the house they choose to live in - whether it has been constructed a few decades ago or is a brand-new one, says Anil Makhijani of Mak Realtors, adding, "They prefer to live close to areas like Malcha Marg, Sunder Nagar, Vasant Vihar, Kautliya Marg as the French school is located on Aurangzeb Road. They prefer such areas for the simple reason that their kids can easily go there without facing traffic jams, which are so common in the capital."
Realty market watchers say that those French nationals who work in either Noida or Greater Noida opt for places like Friends Colony, Sarvpriya Vihar, South Extension and other nearby areas for rental accommodation. And Gurgaon-based French nationals settle for Gurgaon itself.
An official of the French embassy in the capital says that on an average, close to 1,200-1,500 French nationals live in the capital and other NCR cities.
This number does not change much. He, however, also said that all French citizens staying here do not always inform them that they have landed here. They are also not duty bound to inform the embassy.
As nice independent bungalows are fast dwindling in the capital, French nationals have to settle for big floors in posh areas. According to Devendra Gupta, MD of Century 21 India, "I am pretty sure that if the owners of big kothis and bungalows in posh areas of the capital continue to handover their properties to builders with such a brisk pace, those who are looking for independent kothis or bungalows for either rental or buying purpose would be only disappointed.
They have to live in either flats or floors. They can also live in farm houses." However, Sanjay Khanna, director of Kailash Nath Projects, says that it should not surprise anybody as owners of big houses would give more importance to their cause rather than to those who come from other countries to work here. They cannot and should not give importance to the woes of those foreigners who do not get houses with gardens easily now!
Back to French nationals: It is said that like all Europeans they too prefer places with little manicured garden inside the house. The problem is that there are few posh areas like Malcha Marg, Sunder Nagar, Vasant Vihar, Westend and Shanti Niketan where one can still find the luxury of small parks. While they can settle for any three bedroom house, the French nationals reject houses ii sans a garden.
It said for them that unlike South Koreans and Japanese nationals based in the capital, French nationals do not mind living in a house which was made 10-15 years ago. Another realtor says that those French residents with not very generous budget for rent prefer houses with big balconies in their rented places. As this is not a very big demand, they get houses with nice balconies from where they can see the hustle and bustle of the capital.
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