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The Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (ASSOCHAM) hosted a German parliamentary and business delegation in New Delhi to discuss opportunities for expanding trade, investment and industrial cooperation between India and Germany, with a focus on defence manufacturing, railway modernisation, logistics and technology partnerships.
In an official statement on Thursday, ASSOCHAM said the meeting brought together German parliamentarians, industry leaders and business stakeholders to explore ways to deepen economic ties and strengthen collaboration between businesses in the two countries. The German delegation included Sepp Mller, Deputy Chairman of the CDU/CSU Parliamentary Group in the German Bundestag; Vanessa Zobel, a member of the CDU/CSU Parliamentary Group; and Hans-Georg Feldmeier, CEO of Dermapharm Holdings SE. Simran Dhingra represented the Konrad Adenauer Stiftung. The discussions highlighted the need to move beyond conventional trade towards co-development, co-manufacturing and greater integration of Indian and German companies into global supply chains, the statement said. ASSOCHAM Secretary General Saurabh Sanyal and Tribhuvan Darbari, Chairman of the BIMSTEC Business Council Secretariat and the IndiaEurasia Business Council at ASSOCHAM, delivered the keynote address. Drawing on his experience as a defence veteran, Sanyal highlighted opportunities for greater cooperation in the defence sector, including industrial participation, technology development and manufacturing partnerships. Darbari highlighted opportunities in railway modernisation, metro systems, freight corridors, logistics and advanced tunnelling technologies. He called for German original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) to work with Indian public- and private-sector companies through technology transfer, local manufacturing and joint participation in infrastructure projects in India and overseas. He also highlighted the potential for partnerships between Indian micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), startups and Germany's Mittelstand businesses. He proposed an ASSOCHAM-led initiative to promote technology-based matchmaking and supplier development between businesses in the two countries. Cooperation in ports, submarines and shipbuilding was another area highlighted during the meeting. Darbari said German technologies, combined with India's cost-effective manufacturing capabilities and skilled workforce, could help develop competitive solutions for domestic and international markets. The meeting also featured perspectives from representatives of the logistics, transport, automotive, defence and economic research sectors, including Sanjay Bajpai, Saandip Wadhwa, Vipin Vohra, Rajkiran Kanagala, Sushil Rajput and Ambika Sharma. Another key highlight was a presentation by ASSOCHAM Chief Economist S.P. Sharma on an analytical framework developed by the chamber to assess factors influencing the ease of doing business in India. The framework combines multiple data points and indicators to examine India's progress towards Viksit Bharat, the statement said. The statement also referred to the IndiaEFTA Trade and Economic Partnership Agreement (TEPA), which came into effect on October 1, 2025, as a milestone in India's trade engagement with European economies. The discussions come amid efforts to deepen commercial engagement between Indian and European businesses, with the meeting highlighting potential areas for greater industrial cooperation, technology sharing and participation in global supply chains. (ANI)
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