President of France bestows National Order of Merit on Zubin Karkaria
President of France François Hollande bestows the prestigious National Order of Merit on Zubin Karkaria
Zubin Karkaria, CEO – VFS Global, and CEO – Kuoni Group, was appointed ‘Chevalier de l’Ordre National du Mérite’ (Knight of the National Order of Merit) by the President of the French Republic, François Hollande.
The prestigious French award was conferred on Mr. Karkaria by H.E. Mr Alexandre Ziegler, Ambassador of France to India, on behalf of President Hollande, at a ceremony at The Taj Mahal Palace, in Mumbai, India, on 02 December 2016.
The distinction recognises Mr. Karkaria’s exemplary contributions in developing France as a tourist destination through leisure travel and the management of visa services across the world. Having pioneered the concept of visa process outsourcing in 2001 with the launch of VFS Global, Mr. Karkaria has contributed to the increased inbound tourism into France. VFS Global today serves the Government of France through 52 Visa Application Centres in 19 countries around the globe.
The French Government distinction ‘Ordre National du Mérite’ (National Order of Merit) was instituted in 1963 by General Charles de Gaulle. It is awarded for distinguished services rendered in public, civil, military posts, or a private profession.
Speaking about Mr. Karkaria’s achievements, His Excellency Alexandre Ziegler, Ambassador of France to India, said, “France is proud to be the top global tourist destination, as well as a fast-growing destination for the Indian traveller. Over 5 lakh Indian visitors chose France last year and we want to welcome many more. It is an honour to confer the Ordre national du Mérite on Mr. Karkaria who played a stellar role in this success in conceiving the visa facilitation system and promoting France as a travel destination, thus contributing to developing people-to-people contacts between France and India.”
