François Martin was the first Governor-general of Puducherry in French India. In 1673, Sher Khan Lodi, the ruler of Valikandapuram under the Sultan of Bijapur granted Bellanger de l'Espinay a site for a settlement. A shrewd and able administrator, François Martin, former director of the Machilipatnam lodge of French India, developed Puducherry, the future capital of French India in 1674, into a thriving port. He is known as the Father of Puducherry.