France, represented by the French East India Company (Compagnie des Indes Orientales), was among the last of the European powers to come to India. Arriving last to the table, they, rather unsuccessfully, tried to gain a share of the riches to be made in trading with India. Their path would not be an easy one - intrigues at the Court in France and many trysts with bankruptcy led to several French East India Companies being set up. Their rivalries with European powers in Europe and other parts of the world translated into rivalries on Indian soil as well. Being forced to conform to the geopolitical decisions being made as a result of wars in Europe led to the French vacating the political landscape before their other European counterparts. They did leave behind a legacy in the form of the Établissements français dans l’Inde, the French Settlements in India. These were five enclaves measuring a total of 510 sq km of Indian territory. At our Online Talk #LesFrancaisEnInde, historian Dr Rashna Poncha tells us the story of the French in India. About the speaker Dr Rashna Poncha is Associate Professor at the History Department, as well as Vice-Principal (Arts), at Sophia College (Autonomous), Mumbai. She is passionate about teaching and about history. She completed her Ph.D. thesis on ‘A Study of Frere Town, Bombay (1862-1947)’ in 2016 and was awarded the Ph.D. degree in 2018. Her area of specialisation is the history of 19th century Mumbai. She is the co-editor of the books ‘Mumbai-Socio-Cultural Perspectives: Contributions of Ethnic Groups and Communities’ and ‘Down the Corridors of Wisdom,’ the history of Sophia College. Dr Poncha has presented papers on the Parsis, Forts, the history of Mumbai city and its architectural heritage at both international and national conferences.