New Delhi, Jan 31 (IANS): France wants to foster Indo-French ties by welcoming more Indian students to France and enhancing the partnerships between our top-notch academic institutions, French envoy Alexandre Ziegler said here at a function.

He made these remarks while releasing "Prince, Patron and Patriarch: Maharaja Jagatjit Singh of Kapurthala" at a function here hosted by him to mark "L'amitié Franco-Indienne", the long-standing friendship between the two countries.

The book, published by Roli Books, is authored by Brigadier H.H. Sukhjit Singh, Cynthia Meera Frederick and Roli Books founder Pramod Kapoor.

"I am delighted to launch this book, which narrates the 'love story' between Brigadier H.H. Sukhjit Singh's grandfather, Maharaja Jagatjit Singh, and French heritage and culture in the 20th century. The Maharaja's affinity with France was such that he was known as 'Le Roi de la Francophonie' among his peers. We wish to foster these ties by welcoming more Indian students to France and enhancing the partnerships between our top-notch academic institutions," Ziegler said, according to a statement issued by the publisher.

The launch event was attended by several luminaries from India and abroad, the publisher said.

The publisher said that Maharaja Jagatjit Singh (1872-1949) was a passionate Francophile and he was captivated by French language, culture and aesthetics.

He modelled Kapurthala's beautiful Jagatjit Palace after architectural prototypes such as Versailles and Fontainebleau that he admired in France, the publisher said.