BANGALORE, India -- French Prime Minister Jean-Pierre Raffarin Thursday kicked off a three-day visit to India with a call for a major boost in economic ties, while urging New Delhi to opt for airbus in upgrading the fleet of state carrier Indian Airlines.

Raffarin, on his first official visit outside Europe since taking office in May, said economic relations did not match the political affinity between the two nations.

"Trade between us is still too modest," Raffarin told a meeting of French and Indian delegates organized by the Confederation of Indian Industry in the southern it hub of Bangalore.

"It is equal to neither the potential of our economies nor the political closeness of our relations in the international scene," he said.

India's exports to France are worth 1.5 billion euros ($1.6 billion) -- a meager two percent of its total exports.

But bilateral trade grew 110 percent between 1991 and 2001 and in the last fiscal year to March 2002 total trade stood at 2.45 billion euros with the balance in India's favor.

"We need to ask why France and India as major international trade players have not yet managed to find ways of developing their trade," he said.

He told French companies to look out for a growing Indian middle class which is fuelling consumerism and urged India to look at France as an opportunity to do trade with Europe.

The prime minister, accompanied by a strong business delegation, Economy Minister Francis Mer and Research Minister Claudie Haignere, highlighted India's role as a world player.

"I want to take my first state visit outside of Europe to India to stress the great position which shall be assumed by India. It will (assume) a very important position in the 21st century," Raffarin told AFP.

CAPTION French Prime Minister Jean-Pierre Raffarin, second left, looks at models of fighter jets during his visit to the international air show 'Aero India 2003' at Yallahanka airbase, 24 kilometers (15miles) north of Bangalore, India, Thursday, Feb. 6, 2003.