H I GHL IGH TS :

Celebration of :

- 68th Republic Day

of India

- Pravasi Bharatiya Divas

-'Vishwa Hindi Diwas' 2017

C O N S U L A T E

G E N E R A L O F

I N D I A ,

F R A N K F U R T INDIEN NEWSLETTER V O L U M E I V , I S S U E I I

I N S I D E T H I S

I S S U E :

Foreword by CG 1

Republic Day

Celebrations

2

Outreach

activities

Spotlight on India

3

4

India-Germany

Business News

5

News Round-up 6

Foreword

Dear Friends

I take this opportunity to wish you all a very happy new year 2017! May the

new year bring prosperity and happiness in your lives!

I have the pleasure of presenting the first edition of 2017 ‘Indien

Newsletter’ for your perusal. Coming out of the festive season of December,

we had some important events awaiting us in January. Pravasi Bhartiya

Divas is a big event in India and this time it was celebrated in Bangalore.

To commemorate the occasion, we organised an event in Frankfurt on

“Indian Diaspora – Roles and Responsibilities” on 9th January which saw

excellent participation and very interesting discussions. This was followed

by the celebration of Vishwa Hindi Divas on 10 January in the form of a

quiz show where we had active involvement from community

organisations and students associations. The Republic Day flag hoisting

on the 26th morning and the reception on 27th January was well-

attended and a large part of the credit goes to you all who made it a

success. Having the Minister of economics, Transport, Agriculture and

Viticulture of the State of Rhineland Pfalz was a great honour for us and

he spoke fondly about his visit to India in November 2016. We continued

our economic outreach by taking the message of Make in India to

Rothenberger AG, which is a world leader in producing innovative pipe

tools and machines. The company expressed optimism with the recent

changes on the regulatory and infrastructure front and hoped for good

business in a growing Indian economy.

Stay in touch and feel free to write to me with your thoughts and inputs at

cg.frankfurt@mea.gov.in.

Warm regards

Raveesh Kumar Consul General of India, Frankfurt

P A G E 2

I N D I E N N E W S L E T T E R

Celebrating 68th Republic Day of India

The Consulate celebrated the 68th Republic Day of India on 26th January at its premises. After hoisting the National Flag and

singing of the National Anthem, Consul General read out the message of our Hon’ble President, which was followed by patriotic

songs by children from Indian Music Academy, Frankfurt. The event was well attended by the Indian community and students .

On the ocassion of the celebration of the Republic day, a reception was hosted by the Consulate at Hotel Intercontinental

Frankfurt on 27th January . Prominent political personalities, diplomatic corps and members from the Indian diaspora

attended for the event. The Chief Guest for the Reception was Dr. Volker Wissing, Minister for of Economics, Transport,

Agriculture and Viticulture, State of Rhineland Palatinate. Guests of Honour also included Mr. Stephan Siegler, City Council

Chairman of the City of Frankfurt and Dr. Renate Sterzel, Councillor, City of Frankfurt. Over 350 representatives from the

business, political, diplomatic, educational and diaspora community attended the event.

Unfurling of the Tricolour Members of the Consulate and Indian diaspora at the celebration

CG and Mrs. Raveesh welcoming Minister Dr. Volker Wissing and Mrs. Rieke Wissing

Addressing the guests Minister Dr. Wissing delivering the keynote address

Guests of honour at the cake cutting ceremony Over 350 representatives from the business, political, diplomatic, educational and diaspora community attended the event.

P A G E 3

I N D I E N N E W S L E T T E R

Forthcoming Events. -16th February: Event in Düsseldorf with Maier+Vidorno on 'Demonetization – Rea-sons and Consequences'. By invitation only -6th March: Talk at Diplomatic Council (UN reg.) at Strothoff International School ,Dreieich. -9th March: GIRT Cologne. For more details–events@cgifrankfurt.de -23rd March: India meets Frank-furtrheinMain. For more details –events@cgifrankfurt.de

Celebration of 'Vishwa Hindi Diwas' 2017

On the occasion of 'Vishwa Hindi Diwas', a Hindi Quiz competition

was organized at the Consulate on 10th January. A total of 9 teams

representing the Consulate, PSUs, Indian socio-cultural associations

and student associations participated at the competition. Consul

General in his welcome remarks focused on the promotion of Hindi

language in Germany. Dr. Indu Prakash Pandey, a noted Hindi

scholar gave an insightful lecture on the global linguistic influences

on the Hindi language. Around 70 prominent people involved in

promotion of Hindi language in Germany attended the event.

Outreach activities

Celebration of Pravasi Bharatiya Divas 2017

The Consulate organised an event in Frankfurt on the

sidelines of the 'Pravasi Bharat Diwas'on 9th January .

The theme of the event was "Indian Diaspora - Roles and

Responsibilities" based on the broader theme of

‘Redefining engagement with the Indian Diaspora’. Consul

General presented the welcome remarks at the event. Mr.

Puneet Chhatwal, CEO, Steigenberger Hotels and Dr. Rajan

Malviya, prominent members of the Indian Diaspora

delivered the keynote addresses on the occasion. Two

panel discussions were held on ‘Political engagement

through social responsibilities’ and ‘Role of the Indian Diaspora in enhancing bilateral economic engagement’. Around 100

prominent members from the Indian Diaspora community attended the event.

Bharat Verein e.V. Republic Day celebration

Bharat Verein e.V. celebrated the Republic Day in Frankfurt on 28th January. Consul

General was the Chief guest at the event. Padma Shri recipient, the well known singer,

Shri Hans Raj Hans was the guest of honour for the event. The celebrations included many

colourful cultural performances. The event was attended by over 400 .

The speakers and panelists at the PBD event

CG and the Consulate members with Dr. Indu Prakash Pandey and the participants

Visit to Rothenberger AG

On 30th January, Consul General visited the global headquarters of M/s

Rothenberger AG based in Kelkheim near Frankfurt. Rothenberger AG is a

worldwide leader in producing innovative, technologically demanding pipe tools

and machines with a product range of over 5000 and exporting to 90 countries.

During the visit, Consul General interacted with Mr. Phillip Kannengiesser, Member

of the Executive Board and highlighted the positive changes in both the regulatory

framework and infrastructure that have taken place in India urged the company to

consider setting up manufacturing facilities in India. CG with Mr. Philip Kannengiesser, Member of Board on the company'

CG , President, Bharat Verein, Shri Vipin Mishra (Centre) handing over a memento to Shri Hans Raj Hans

Spotlight on India P A G E 4

V O L U M E I V , I S S U E I I

India ranks 4th globally in wind power installation: Survey

India has attained the fourth position globally in installed wind power

capacity after China, US and Germany as a result of various steps in the

"right" direction, the Economic Survey said . With the legal framework in

place for the International Solar Alliance (ISA), the brainchild of Prime

Minister Narendra Modi and launched during the UN climate summit in

Paris, ISA will be a "major" international body headquartered in India, it

added."As a result of various actions in the right direction, India attained

4th position in global wind power installed capacity after China, USA and

Germany," it said.

Indian startup will land spacecraft on moon next Republic Day;

team Indus gets green signal from Google Lunar XPrize

Team Indus, which was India’s first and only startup to have received $1

million from Google Lunar XPrize last year for landing their spacecraft on

Moon, is now all set to create a unique history. By next Republic Day, that

is on January 26, 2018, they would land their first spacecraft on the

moon, travel at least 500 meters on the Moon’s surface and sent back

images and videos. This is indeed a proud moment for India, as Team

Indus is one among 5 teams selected globally by Google Lunar XPrize to

accomplish this feat. There were 16 teams who were competing for this

feat.

This industry veteran says India will become world leader in

IoT in 2-3 years

"The way we are doing is that we are like a startup in a big tanker, this is

a huge advantage," says Reliance Group's IoT unit's CEO. Appointed as the

CEO of Unlimit, Indian business tycoon Mr. Anil Ambani, promoted Reli-

ance Group’s IoT service, Juergen Hase believes India is touted to become

one of the world leaders in IoT in the 2-3 years.With the world is moving

towards connecting with each other, the growth in IoT in India is project-

ed to reach $15 billion by 2020. At such a time, Mr. Juergen Hase who has

developed, implemented and executed new businesses says it is the right

time to catch on the IoT space in India.

Startup India, a right idea at the right time

At a time when the growth in jobs has not kept pace with the rising num-

ber of claimants, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ‘Startup India’ project

holds high importance. The national manufacturing policy has suggested

that the share of manufacturing in GDP needs to be increased to 25 per-

cent in order to create 100 million jobs in the coming decades. Therefore,

startups along with the ‘Make In India’ initiative will be the next job cre-

ating industry in the years to come. Today, India has the third highest

number of startups in the world behind the US and Britain. NASSCOM

estimates software startups alone will create 800,000 jobs by 2017.

How we built India's biggest robot company

The e-commerce sector in India has seen unprecedented growth in the last

few years. Roughly 350 million Indian citizens are online and according to

international payment company WorldPay, while online retailing is only a

part of e-commerce, it is the area that many see as the one with the biggest

growth potential. Those retailers servicing millions of consumers will need

to keep their goods in warehouses, and those warehouses need to be effi-

cient. That's where GreyOrange has positioned itself. In India, GreyOrange

says it has 90% of the warehouse automation market and it has worked

with leading e-commerce and logistics firms in the country. GreyOrange has

two different robots to help warehouses become more productive. Butler,

an artificial intelligence-powered robotic system, helps pick products from

shelves in the warehouse. The second robot, Sorter, automates the sorting

of outgoing packages in a distribution centre.

‘India, a hotbed for next solar revolution’

As India sets ambitious target for renewable energy sector growth, a num-

ber of opportunities have opened up. These include inverters, back up

facilities, smart grids, net metering, distribution management systems for

large solar parks, and Green Energy Corridors. Mr. Anil Chaudhry, Country

President and Managing Director, Schneider Electric India, in an exclusive

interaction with BusinessLine details the potential it holds for his Euro 27

billion revenue company. The target of 175 giga watt by 2022 including

100 GW of solar is visionary and at Schneider Electric we consider this a

good opportunity. India is a strategic and an important growth market for

us. In the backdrop of taxation reforms in the form of GST to be rolled out

soon and an upswing in ease-of-doing business, we perceive India as an

important investment destination.

India 10th largest business travel market: Report

In 2015, India saw a 15% increase in business travel spending, which will

grow by a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 12% through 2020 to

6% by 2030. This increase in all possibility will be greater than the increas-

es in business travel growth in the next three largest countries combined,

including South Korea, Italy and Brazil. Thirteen years from now (by 2030),

India will likely be amongst the top five in business travel spending,” the

report said .The report attributed the growth to “political, economic and

demographic factors”. It said macro-economic growth, an evolution in the

regulatory environment, increased growth and expansion in industrial

activity, coupled with fast digitization of travel booking tools has and will

continue to lead to the growth.

India-Germany Business News P A G E 5

V O L U M E I V , I S S U E I I

EMO Hannover fair 2017 to focus on India.

EMO Hannover 2017, the world’s premier trade fair for the metal working

sector, will focus on attractive and high potential markets, said a top

official. The fair is being held at Hannover, Germany from September 18

to 23, after a gap of four years, said Mr. Christoph Miller, Managing Direc-

tor EMO Hannover, Frankfurt am Main, Germany. It is being organised by

the VDW, Frankfurt am Main, Germany on behalf of the European Associa-

tion of the Machine Tools Industries from Brussels, Belgium and in con-

junction with Deutsche Messe AG, Germany. India Day will be celebrated

on September 20. It will feature reports exclusively from Indian experts.

Germany to finance strategic infrastructure projects in India

Germany is ready to support India’s growth story and become part of

India’s DNA, in key long-term strategic projects for India’s growth, ac-

cording to an Indian Embassy statement, quoting Mr. Matthias Machnig,

state secretary, Federal Ministry of Economic Affairs and Energy. During a

meeting with a delegation of visiting Indian CEOs led by CII, he also in-

formed about the German cabinet’s decision to finance long-term strategic

projects in countries like India particularly in railways, infrastructure and

smart cities sectors, the statement said. The German government has set

up a special unit in the Economics Ministry, to implement this decision of

the German cabinet, it said. In a meeting with the CII delegation, German

federal Finance Minister Wolfgang Schauble, said that Germany is commit-

ted to working with India for mutual benefit. The CII delegation was led

by Shobana Kameneni, CII President-designate and Vice-Chairperson of

Apollo Hospitals Ltd.

Germany's BASF forays into Indian crop protection market for

rice

Mittelstand BASF has entered the Indian crop protection market for rice

with the launch of a range of new solutions to boost rice yields by manag-

ing diseases, weeds and pests. Rice farmers in India will be able to boost

productivity and income with the help of BASF crop protection solutions

for rice, now available in the country for the first time, claimed the com-

pany in a press statement.“Our aim is to support India’s rice growers to

realise their full potential. We will dedicate BASF’s expertise in modern,

sustainable farming to the needs of the Indian rice growing community,”

said Mr. Markus Heldt, President of BASF’s crop protection division. BASF

is a worldwide leader in crop protection, with global sales of more than €

5.8 billion in 2015.

Europe fast embracing Ayurveda alongside modern medicine

With a marked shift in people’s preference for integration of modern and

traditional medicines, Ayurveda is gaining popularity in many of the Euro-

pean countries, says Mr. Martin Mittweda, Director of Academic Studies,

European Academy of Ayurveda, Birstein, Germany. Germany – as the

nerve centre of Ayurveda is leading the change in Europe while other coun-

tries like Switzerland, Austria are joining the bandwagon. In Switzerland,

he said there was a referendum among people which showed that 80 per

cent preferred an integration of modern and traditional medicines. As a

result, the country has seen the spread of this traditional Indian system of

medicine in the recent years. Mittweda, who is also a Sanskrit scholar, told

BusinessLine that the European Academy of Ayurveda enrols 150 students

for the masters programme in Ayurveda every year from different parts of

the developed world such as Lativia, New Zealand, Luxembourg, the UK and

Sweden among others.

Mercedes expects double digit growth from India

Luxury car-maker Mercedes Benz is expecting double digit growth this year

from India and would be focusing on Tier II and III cities, a top company

official said . "We expect a double-digit growth this year in India," Mer-

cedes Benz India managing director and CEO Mr. Eberhard Kern told re-

porters. While the growth last year was 32 per cent in the country, the

German luxury carmaker has already touched 25 per cent from January-

June 2014. He said 4,717 units of Mercedes Benz were sold in the six-month

period in the country, against 3,765 during the period last year. In Kerala,

281 were sold in the first half of this year against 581 cars sold last year

during the period in the state.

News Round-up

CONSULATE GENERAL OF INDIA

FRIEDRICH-EBERT-ANLAGE 26, 60325, FRANKFURT AM

MAIN, GERMANY

Telephone :+49 69 153 00 50

For suggestions and feedback, please send your e-mails to pic.frankfurt@mea.gov.in

Month of January in Pictures!

IHK Neujahrsempfang 2017

Consul General attended the Annual

Reception of the Düsseldorf Chamber of

Commerce and Industry on 16th January

and Frankfurt Chamber of Commerce on

24th January. The main speaker at the

event in Duesseldorf was the British

Ambassador to Germany Mr. S. E.

Sebastian Wood . The event also marked the farewell of President Prof. Dr.

Ulrich Lehner and welcomed the new President, Mr. Andreas Schmitz. The

guests of honour at the event in Frankfurt were the Minister President of

Hesse, Mr. Volker Bouffier, Lord Mayor of Frankfurt, Mr. Peter Feldmann, and

Mr. Fredi Bobic, Member of Board, Eintracht Frankfurt.

'Incredible Textiles of India'

An interactive meeting on

'Incredible Textiles of India' was

organized on the sidelines of

the Heimtextil fair in Frankfurt

on 11th January by Texprocil in

cooperation with the Consulate.

Mr. U. Lahoti, Chairman, Texprocil

welcomed the gathering. Consul General in his address highlighted the

importance of quality of products which are exported to Germany. Mr.

Puneet Agarwal, JS Textiles gave an overview of the Indian textile

market. More than 50 importers, buyers and other exhibitors

participated in this interactive session.

CG at Heimtextil interactive meeting

CGI Frankfurt Family on the occasion of Republic Day Celebration Ms. Durga Arya and her group performing at the Republic Day celebration.

Indian diaspora on occasion of the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas 2017 Ms. Sudha Kommuri (R) and her students singing patriotic songs on the occasion of the Republic Day

IHK-President Andreas Schmitz. Photo Courtesy :lokalkompass.de