H I G H L I G H T S :
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 V I I I
I N S I D E T H I S
Foreword
1
Farewell & welcom-
ing of Consul´s
General
2
India Tourism &
Culture
3
G20 Summit 2017 4
Spotlight on India 5
India - Germany
Business news
6
News Roundup 7
Dear friends,
I am happy to arrive in Frankfurt, Germany in the pleasant month of August,
which is also significant as India's Independence Day falls in this month. This
year we are celebrating 71st 'Independence Day'. I take the opportunity to wish
all my fellow Indians a very Happy Independence Day.
India and Germany share multi-dimensional and expanding bilateral relations.
The socio- economic and cultural ties have strengthened over the years. I hope
that the trend continues in the coming years.
I look forward to productive and happy tenure in Germany.
Foreword
Mrs. Pratibha Parkar
Consul General of India,
Frankfurt
Moment of Pride for Consulate General of India, Family On completion of his successful tenure as the Consul General of India Frankfurt, Germany,
Mr. Raveesh Kumar has moved back to the Ministry of External Affairs(MEA) headquarters
in New Delhi all set to take a step forward in his astonishing career. Mr. Raveesh Kumar has
been appointed as MEA’s official
spokesperson. He commenced his career
as a young dioplomat at the Indian
Mission in Jakarta. It was followed by
stints in Indian Missions in Thimphu
and London. During his tenure in Delhi,
he looked after the East Asia desk. Prior
to his assignment in Frankfurt, he was
the Deputy Chief of the Mission at the
Embassy of India in Jakarta, Indonesia.
In September 2013, he assumed charge
as the Consul General in Frankfurt.
During his tenure, he spearheaded
extensive outreach programs to bring
the Indian and German business and
diaspora community closer as well as
promoted flagship initiatives launched
by the Government of India such as ‘Make in India’, ‘Startup India’ and so on. Along with
his Team, he launched the India Business Forum in Nov, 2013 which has proven to be a
successful networking platform for all the Indian professionals, entrepreneurs and
businessmen in the four states under the Consulate`s Jurisdiction. During his four year
tenure he undertook around 100 visits to the Small and Medium Sized Enterprises (SMEs)
within the Consulate’s jurisdiction to promote the Indian economic and business
opportunities for German enterprises in the Indian market. The Consulate General of India
Frankfurt family will always be proud to have worked under this passionate, young leader
and wishes him the very best for all his future endeavors.
Forthcoming Events
- 15 th August :
Celebration of 71st
Independence Day at
the Consulate.
-Mess und
Automatisierungstechnik
in Indien –
Entwicklungen und
Marktchancen.
- Indian Students
Association Bonn-
Cologne
Celebrating 70 YEARS OF
INDIAN INDEPENDENCE
Date: 19/08/17
Venue: University of
Cologne
Time: 16.00 – 18.30 hrs
-71st Independence Day
Celebration in Bonn
Date: 20/08/17
From : 10:00 to 12:30
CEST
Venue:Schmitt
Sporthalle, Duisdorf
Schmittstraße 23,
53125 Bonn
Chief Guest : Mr. Ashok
Sridharan (Lord Mayor of
City Bonn)
Former CG Mr. Raveesh Kumar
Mrs.Pratibha Parkar, Consul General of India, Frankfurt A Warm Welcome to Mrs. Pratibha Parkar, who
has succeeded Mr. Raveesh Kumar as Consul
General of India, Frankfurt. Mrs. Parkar joined
the Indian Foreign Service in the year 2000 and
commenced her career in Russia. Later she
worked as a Commercial Officer in Jakarta &
Indonesia and as Counsellor (Political) at the
Permanent Mission of India to the United
Nations in New York, United States of America.
Prior to assuming charge as the Consul General
in Frankfurt, Mrs. Parkar was Director at the
Bangladesh Myanmar Division (BM Division)
at the Ministry of External Affairs, New Delhi.
Mrs. Parkar is married to Shri Sugandh
Rajaram, a fellow Diplomat and has a daughter,
aged 13. The CGI Frankfurt Family looks
forward to working with her & wishes her a
successful tenure in Frankfurt and all the best
for her stay in Germany.
CG Mrs. Pratibha Parkar with HOC Shri. Prem
Singh Chauhan
India being a country of cultural plurality, the country celebrates a diverse range of Cultural events. In this edition we would
like to explore our diversities of varied Indian Cultures. July brings in monsoon & rain sweeps through the country, ending the
repressive summer heat and bringing new life to the landscape, barren after the summer months. India is at its most beautiful
during this season, so take a few days off this July 2017 and explore the country with the monsoon for company!
Ahmedabad makes it to UNESCO´s World Heritage Status List The World Heritage Committee (WHC) of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO)
has included Ahmedabad , one of the biggest cities in Gujarat, the home state of Prime Minister Narendra Modi into the
World Heritage list. The WHC, while including Ahmedabad in its World Heritage list, said, "The walled city of
Ahmadabad, founded by Sultan Ahmad Shah in the 15th century, on the eastern bank of the Sabarmati river, presents a rich
architectural heritage from the sultanate period, notably the Bhadra citadel, the walls and gates of the Fort city and
numerous mosques and tombs as well as important Hindu and Jain temples of later periods. Also the urban fabric is made up
of densely-packed traditional houses (pols) in gated traditional streets (puras) with characteristic features such as bird
feeders, public wells and religious institutions. The city continues to flourish as the capital of the State of Gujarat.
News covering Indian Festivals / Cultural Events
India Tourism & Culture
Puri Jagannath Rath Yatra ,Odisha
The exuberant 12 day Puri Jagannath Rath Yatra festival sees Lord
Jagannath (a reincarnation of Lords Vishnu and Krishna), along with
and his elder brother Balabhadra and sister Subhadra, venture out of
their abode in Puri's Jagannath Temple. The gods are transported on
massive towering chariots being pulled by thousands of devotees, and
this festival ends with the return of the gods back to the 12th century
Jagannath Temple. Over a millon devotees attend this festival braving
the monsoon rains to offer their prayers.
Amarnath Yatra, Jammu & Kashmir
This being of the holiest pilgrimages in Hindu culture, the Amarnath Yatra is an annual
event where thousands of devotees make the long and arduous trek to the holy Amarnath
cave temple in Jammu and Kashmir. The temple lies around 141 km or a 3-4 hour drive from
Srinagar and the 45 km trek itself starts from the scenic town of Pahalgam. Amarnath is
accessible only during a brief 45-day window in the year & is covered in snow for the
remaining period of the year. The tough pilgrimage requires devotees to fall against the
unpredictable weather and also slippery and often dangerous terrain, all to get a glimpse of
the Shiv Lingam made of ice within the cave.
Hemis Festival at Hemis Monastery, Leh, Ladak
The two days Hemis Festival commemorating the birth of Guru Padmasambhava , who
founded Tantric Buddhism in Tibet is been celebrated every year in Ladhakh. The festival
happens on the tenth and eleventh days of the The festival is famous for the masked dance
called Chaam that the monastery’s Lamas perform to the tune of cymbals, long horns and
drums. The locals can also be seen wearing their most vibrant clothes, with elaborate
headgear and jewelry. The festival also has bustling fair full of handicrafts and other items.
Boat Race on Pampa River at Champakulam, Alleppey in Kerala
The Champakulam Boat Race is the oldest snake boat race of Kerala. It's also the first boat race
of the season. A stunning procession is enacted prior to the race taking place. It features exotic
water floats, boats decorated with colorful parasols, and performing artists. People come from
all over the country to witness this incredible event and cheer the teams participating in this race.
P A G E 4
G20 Leaders´DeclarationShaping an interconnected world
The Leaders of the G20 countries, met in Hamburg, Germany on 7th – 8th
July 2017 to address major global economic challenges and to contribute
to global prosperity and well-being. The highest priority of the G20
leaders was to progress with the common objective of becoming strong,
sustainable, balanced economy and have inclusive growth globally. By
bringing together developed and emerging market economies, the G20 is determined towards
globalisation. The leaders have agreed upon tackling common challenges to the global
community, including terrorism, displacement, poverty, hunger and health threats, job creation,
climate change, energy security, as a basis for sustainable development and stability. The
developed as well as developing countries have agreed upon working together to address these
challenges, building on a rule based international order.
Spotlight on India P A G E 5
V O L U M E I V , I S S U E V I I I
G20 & FSB both acknowledged India The countries participating in the G20 Summit have praised
the Indian government for its efforts in the areas of startup
funding, ease of doing business and labor reforms. An
international body, The Financial Stability Board (FSB), has
given a good status report, terming India to be ‘compliant or
largely compliant’.The acknowledgment was made during the
2017 G20 Hamburg summit in Germany that was held on 7-8
July, 2017. India was praised for promoting inclusive growth
in the country. This development comes after the increased
efforts of the Indian government to provide security to
workers and increase female percentage in the work force
under the labor reforms. As stated in the Hamburg Action
Plan, India is facilitating external commercial borrowings
(ECBs) by startups, thereby promoting ease of doing business
in the country and encouraging innovation. With the launch of
‘Startup India, Stand Up India’ movement, the Indian
government has created a number of initiatives to support
startups in all possible ways finances, mentoring, tax reforms,
patent protection, reforms & guidelines, tax exemptions.
The land of incredible opportunity Theresa May, (Prime minister of UK) during her visit to India
in 2016 reinforced, there are tremendous opportunities in India
for UK businesses. The UK has long been the largest G20
investor in India with around 550 British businesses
employing almost 800,000 people in India. This is a
staggering one in every 20 people employed in India's
organised private sector. India is the third largest investor in
the UK - Indian companies invest more in the UK than the rest
of the EU combined. Some 800 Indian companies currently
operate in the UK, employing more than 110,000 people.
There are a number of factors driving this growing
opportunity. The fast growth of the Indian economy with a
GDP expanding at 7.2% makes India the world's fastest
growing large economy. By 2030 India will be the third
largest. India's demographics are also compelling. With 600
million of the 1.3 billion population are under the age of 24.
India has the largest youth population in the world. And these
young people are increasingly well-educated, ambitious,
having immense potential to work. Another factor driving
growth and demand for UK goods, services, technology, and
know-how are the stimulatory impact of Indian Governments
programs such as Make in India, Digital India, Skill India and
Swachh Bharat. ‘Make in India’ initiative: India launch World´s first solar powered train Solar-powered DEMU (diesel electrical multiple unit) train
was launched on 14th July 2017, 1600 HP from the Safdarjung
railway station in Delhi to Farukh Nagar in Haryana. In line
with Indian Railways ‘Solar Mission’ for decreasing
dependency on fossil fuels, the train consists of 16 solar
panels that are fitted in six coaches each of which generating
300 Watt peak .The solar-powered trains would be able to
power the entire electrical appliances present in the train. Built
under ‘Make in India’ initiative, the price of these solar panels
is up to Rs54 lakh. Along with a power back-up, the train can
run on battery for minimum 72 hours. Indian Railway Minister
Shri Suresh Prabhu declared that the solar-powered DEMU
would be able to produce 1000 MW of solar energy in the
upcoming five years. Minister expressed, “Indian Railways is
committed to promote clean and renewable energy.”
Harvard study : India the new global growth pole The economic pole of global growth has moved over the past
few years from China to India, where it is likely to stay over the
coming decade, according to new growth projections presented
by researchers at the Center for International Development at
Harvard University. The study attributed India's rapid growth
prospects to the fact that it is particularly well positioned to
continue diversifying into new areas. The diversification
includes political, institutional, geographic and demographic
segments in the country. India has made inroads in diversifying
its export base to include more complex sectors, such as
chemicals, vehicles, and certain electronics. India has
accumulated new capabilities that allow for more diverse and
more complex production that predicts faster growth in the
coming years. Indian Students Win Global Aerospace Competition, CanSat 2017
Team Astral of UPES (University of Petroleum and Energy
Studies) has made its alma mater and country proud by securing
first rank globally at CanSat 2017. CanSat is a prestigious
annual design-build-fly competition with space related themes
organized by American Astronautical Society (AAS) and
American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA)
that provides teams from across the globe with an opportunity
to experience the design life-cycle of an aerospace system. 40
teams from across the world were competing in the finals held
at Texas, U.S.A. The team has been participating in CanSat
competition since 2013 and in a short span of five years has
reached no. 1 ranking. Team Astral has won CanSat 2017 under
the guidance of Dr. Ugur Guven & Prof. Zozimus Labana and
support from School of Design Studies UPES .
India has Higher Potential to Lead in Digital Economy The Mastercard Digital Evolution Index placed India in the
“Break Out” list which refers to countries that have relatively
lower absolute levels of digital advancement, yet remain poised
for growth and are attractive to investors by virtue of their
potentials. According to the Index 2017, India has a strong
potential in a shift toward a digital economy and is attracting
investors for the opportunities that come with the country’s
transition towards becoming a cashless society. The Indian
government announced incentives ranging from 0.75% to 10%
on retail purchase of products such as petrol, diesel and
insurance products from state-run companies to encourage
digital, cashless transactions.
India’s economy still growing faster than China according to IMF The Indian economy will continue to grow at a faster pace than
China's in 2017 and 2018, according to the International
Monetary Fund's (IMF) World Economic Outlook Update
released on Monday. The IMF retained India's GDP forecast at
7.2 % for the current fiscal and sees it accelerating to 7.7 % in
2018-19. Growth in India, is forecasted to pick up further in
2017 and 2018, reported the multilateral agency. Despite to the
demonetisation initiative, growth for 2016 at 7.1 % was higher
than anticipated as one of the measures could be due to strong
government spending.
All News articles & pictures have been sourced from established Media sources
India-Germany Business News P A G E 6
V O L U M E I V , I S S U E V I I I
Siemens first digi-factory in India open for business Siemens opened its first digital factory in India. The third
globally after one each in Germany and China, as the
industrial conglomerate pitches smart facilities to small and
medium-scale enterprises in the country. The German
company hopes to use Mumbai's newly-opened digital factory
as a showcase to sell a range of plant automation equipment
and software to Indian manufacturing units. The factory is
placed on the outskirts of Mumbai & is capable of producing
more than 180 variants of low-voltage switchgear at the rate of
one product every nine seconds. The plant can manufacture
over five million devices annually. The machines rely on the
Internet of Things technology, where sensors are fitted on
machines and the resulting data is used to improve and track
their performance.
SAP Labs India adding 1,000 people annually SAP’s largest research and development center outside the
company’s headquarters in Walldorf, Germany is steadily
growing in strategic importance, says Stefan Ries , chief
human resources officer of SAP, German. SAP Labs India is
Companies largest R&D center outside the headquarters in
Germany, and the India footprint is steadily growing, adding
800-1,000 people to the overall headcount annually. The India
center is gaining in strategic importance for the Company. The
Fashion Management solution, which is used by Armani and
Gucci, has been built entirely in India. In India, the Company
recently inaugurated the new addition to our Whitefield
campus — the Gerhard Oswald Innovation Space in
Bangalore built with an investment of €50 million. We will
continue to make strong investments in our India center, said
Stefan Ries.
Medical Fair India 2018 offers platform for growing health care market Starting March 16 to 18 , 2018, MEDICAL FAIR INDIA,
India's No. 1 Trade Fair for Hospitals, Health Centers and
Clinics, will be organized in Mumbai. Organized by Messe
Düsseldorf India Pvt. Ltd., the subsidiary of Messe Düsseldorf
in Germany, MEDICAL FAIR INDIA 2018 has the support of
the company’s “World of Medica” international network of
representatives and MEDICA – the leading international trade
fair for the medical industry held annually in Düsseldorf,
Germany. Over 500 exhibitors will present the latest
developments specifically geared towards the Indian medical
sector, ranging from medical, diagnostics, laboratory and
rehabilitation equipment to hospital/clinic/pharmacy
furnishings and products as well as communication/
information technology. The country’s healthcare sector is
growing at a 15 % CAGR to reach US$ 158.2 billion in 2017.
Imports of medical devices and equipment in India is likely to
cross US$ 4 billion mark by 2018-19 from a level of about
US$ 2.3 billion in 2013/2014. In addition, 6 million medical
tourists are targeted by 2018. The last staging of MEDICAL
FAIR INDIA in March 2017 in New Delhi recorded a visitor
increase of 15% (13,480 attendees) and a 16% booked space
increase by the 519 exhibitors. With these results, Medical
Fair India confirmed its position as the leading medical trade
fair for the Indian market.
DHL Express looks at introducing StreetScooter in India
DHL Express, a group company of Deutsche Post DHL, which
saw 8 % growth in volume terms in the 2017 March quarter is
eyeing India’s 7 per cent economic growth and is also exploring
introduction of its electric van, StreetScooter, used for delivery
of letters and parcels. The company, which plans to double the
production capacity of its own e-vehicles from 10,000 to
20,000 by the end of 2017, sees municipal authorities, strategic
partners and large fleet customers in Germany and the rest of
Europe as potential buyers.
Cabinet apprised of the Joint Declaration of Intent between India and Germany on Indo German-Centre for Sustainability The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Shri
Narendra Modi has been apprised of the Joint Declaration of
Intent (JDI) between Department of Science & Technology
(DST), India and the Federal Ministry of Education and
Research (BMBF), Germany on Indo German-Centre for
Sustainability (IGCS). The objective of the JDI on IGCS is to
promote cooperation between German and Indian scientists on
fundamental and applied scientific research. It includes areas
such as policy support, teaching, training and dissemination of
information in the area of sustainable development and climate
change through inter-disciplinary/trans-disciplinary research.
The IGCS will nurture future collaboration by widening the
network with other Universities, Institutes and industries both
in India and Germany. On the Indian side, Indian Institute of
Technology (IIT), Madras will act as the host institution for
IGCS.
In South India a new turnkey dairy plant by GEA A contract has been signed by Gesellschaft für
Entstaubungsanlagen (GEA) in India and Hatsun Agro Product
Limited (HAP) to install an automated dairy plant on turnkey
basis at Dharapuram Tamilnadu. This greenfield dairy project is
designed to handle 650,000 liters of milk per day, to produce
300,000 liters per day of milk in pouches and 150,000 liters per
day of curd. The plant is expected to be fully operational by
early 2018. HAP believes, dairy industry in India is ready to
embrace new technologies & higher hygienic standards and
chose GEA as its engineering partner because of its turnkey
approach, its innovative technology and its past work
experience with GEA.The plant is fully automated for the
processing and packaging of liquid milk and curd.
Cabinet approves signing of pacts with Palestine, Germany The Centre approved the signing of a pact between India and
Palestine for cooperation in the field of health and medicine.
Several pacts and proposals were approved ex-post facto at a
meeting of the Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister
Narendra Modi including a Joint Declaration of Intent (JDI)
signed between India and Germany on cooperation in the field
of health. Under the pact, the two countries will cooperate with
each other in capacity building of the health staff, prevention
and control of communicable diseases, physiotherapy and
rehabilitation, drugs, pharmaceuticals and medical equipment
among others. Under the JDI, the two countries will cooperate
with each other in postgraduate medical education, training of
the medical personnel, pharmaceuticals and pharmacy
economics and health economics.
All News articles & pictures have been sourced from established Media sources
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 [email protected]
Consulate General of India, Frankfurt & IHK-Verbund Mittelhessen , IHK Hessen Innovation Deutsch-Indischen Handelskammer in Frankfurt presents :
Mess und Automatisierungstechnik in Indien – Entwicklungen und Marktchancen.
Venue : IHK Gießen-Friedberg , IHK-Geschäftsstelle Gießen , Lonystr. 7 , 35390 Gießen
Time : 12.09.2017 from 15:00 to 17:00 CEST
For more Info and registration :
https://www.giessen-friedberg.ihk.de/Geschaeftsbereiche/International/Mess--und-Automatisierungstechnik-Indien/3771778#titleInText0 https://ausgabe.vstdbv3.ihk.de/vstdbv3/download?secid=%7B3DES%7DF6812453C5C1D7C9