French president Nicolas Sarkozy, who is visiting India at the head of a large trade delegation, is coming under pressure to exclude the Sikh turban from the ban on ostentatious religious symbols in France’s schools.

It is the latest side-issue to distract attention from Mr Sarkozy’s own agenda for the visit – the development of stronger trade and investment ties with the world’s second-fastest growing big economy – following weeks of discussion of his love life.