Hey Risers
Issue 25th of India Rising! Thank you for celebrating this milestone with us and for being part of our growing community of Risers. More to come and it’s great to have you with us!
This week's edition covers the large step ahead for the Indo-German partnership, Japan’s commitment to India, Alstom’s major deal in Mumbai, and more must-know news.
Found this week's edition insightful? Share it with your network and support the Indo-European partnership.
Got feedback? Just hit reply, I’d love to hear from you!
Rise of the Week: The Indo-German Partnership Is Progressing Substantially
Over the past week, we have witnessed a cascade of positive developments for the Indo-German partnership and collaboration. With German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul’s visit to India and a large number of signed agreements between German businesses and the state of Tamil Nadu, it was a celebration of the 25 years of Indo-German partnership.
During his visit, German Foreign Minister Wadephul met with Prime Minister Narendra Modi to discuss the strategic partnership between both countries, and highlighted the immense potential in trade, technology, innovation, manufacturing and sustainability.
Wadephul also met with India’s Minister of External Affairs S Jaishankar and Union Minister of Commerce Piyush Goyal. Germany’s minister not only highlighted India’s “special and strategic” role in the world, but shared goals to double the EUR 31 billion trade between both countries.
As a rising economic powerhouse and the most populous country and biggest democracy in the world, India has a special importance in a world region that is of strategic importance. Our economies, in particular, have a lot to gain if we are to further expand our cooperation. I was in Bengaluru yesterday, and I saw for myself what an innovative powerhouse and technology centre India has become.
The strong synergies between both economies in technology and innovation, as well as manufacturing capabilities, were confirmed earlier in the week. A total of 26 Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs), commitments worth INR 7,020 Crore (around EUR 780 million), were signed between German companies and the government of Tamil Nadu during the Chief Minister M K Stalin’s week-long visit to Germany:
Knorr-Bremse: The German manufacturer for braking systems plans to invest INR 2,000 Crore (around EUR 222 million) in a new facility for railway doors and braking systems Kanchipuram district. This will create 3,500 jobs alone, and the company will also set up a new technology centre / Global Capability Centre (GCC) in Chennai as well as its first global AI hub.
Nordex Group: The wind-turbine manufacturer will expand its operations by investing INR 1,000 Crore (around EUR 111 million) and creating 2,500 additional jobs.
Vensys Energy: The wind energy company will invest INR 1,068 Crore (around EUR 119 million) in a new component facility and create more than 5,200 jobs.
ebm-pabst: The specialist in electric motors and air movement equipment will expand both its production and GCC by investing INR 201 (around EUR 22 million) over the next five years.
BASF: The world’s largest chemical company will expand its operations in Chengalpattu.
Herrenknecht: The global leader in tunnel boring machines will upgrade its Chennai facility and serve metro and coastal road projects.
Overall, those commitments are expected to create around 15,300 new jobs and will further strengthen Tamil Nadu’s strong industrial ecosystem. Moreover, discussions with senior executives of the BMW Group for further investment in the company’s electric vehicle development in Tamil Nadu were initiated.
I believe that India and Germany are at a pivotal point of their partnership. Both governments are committed to stronger collaborations, investments by German businesses and joint ventures are starting to grow, and the proximity of the India-EU Free Trade Agreement can add further momentum. According to Deutsche Welle, India’s leadership expects Germany, the largest economy in the EU, to support those trade talks being finalised as quickly as possible.
I think that the convergence of these factors suggests that Germany's government should indeed prioritise supporting the swift finalisation of the trade discussions, as this would further capitalise on the substantial progress already achieved in bilateral cooperation.
Sources: The Economic Times, The Tribune, New Indian Express, Deccan Herald, Deutsche Welle
What Else is Rising?
India and Japan Outline Roadmap Including USD 67 Billion in Investments
India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi met with the Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba in Tokyo. Both parties agreed on a shared vision and signed 21 agreements, MoUs, and initiatives.
Today, we have laid a strong foundation for a new and golden chapter in our Special Strategic and Global Partnership. We have set a roadmap for the next decade. We will also give special attention to connecting Small and Medium Enterprises and Start-ups from both countries.
Main highlights are the following:
Economic security initiative: Key areas of collaboration are AI, semiconductors, critical minerals, clean energy, and pharmaceuticals.
Indo-Pacific Security Declaration: A renewal of the agreement signed in 2008 to protect joint interests in the APAC region.
Private investments targets: Japanese private investments in India are targeted to reach USD 67 billion over the next 10 years.
Japanese businesses already started committing investments in India. While we shared Suzuki’s substantial investment plans in our last issue, several other players followed:
Fujifilm Electonic Materials: The semiconductor and electronics supply chain company considers establishing a manufacturing site in India.
Tokyo Electron: The world’s fourth largest semiconductor equipment company opened a new R&D site in Bengaluru.
Japanese businesses seek to transfer legacy chip and LCD manufacturing from Japan to India.
Daibiru Corporation: The real estate investor plans to expand its India portfolio by investing in data centers.
Hitachi Energy: The global leader in power technology and power systems announced a total investment of INR 2,000 Crore (around EUR 222 million) over the next 5 years.
Many Japanese businesses have been highly successful in India and are amongst the major investors in the country. The latest commitments confirm India’s market potential, but will also increase competition for European businesses in various sectors. This is important to note, especially since European carmakers already substantially lag behind its East Asian competitors in the automotive sector.
Sources: Times of India, Moneycontrol, Nikkei Asia, The Economic Times, Manufacturing Today
French Alstom Wins Major Deal for Mumbai Metro
India’s urban infrastructure is a key area of investments and continues to attract European businesses. The French leader in smart and sustainable mobility Alstom, in partnership with Larsen and Tubro, was awarded to supply Mumbai’s metro line 4 with 39 driverless trains, train controlling communication systems as well as maintenance services.
The trains will be manufactured “Made in India” at Alstom’s factory in Sri City, Andhra Pradesh, components in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, and Savli, Gujarat, while designs will be done at the company’s engineering centre in Bengaluru. The total value of few hundred million Euros adds to Alstom’s substantial involvement in India’s metropolitan infrastructure development.
Sources: NewsArena India
Quick Risers
Germany’s Hansgrohe plans to quadruple its production India. (Source: Reuters)
The global chip ecosystem including Germany’s Merck promises fresh investments in India. (Source: Times of India)
CG Semi presented India’s first commercially-made chip. (Source: Times of India)
Germany’s ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems and India’s VEM Technologies signed a MoU for producing torpedos. (Source: ANI News)
India’s GST Council announced a GST reform and these are the changes. (Source: The Economic Times)
99% of British SMEs plan to increase their trade with India and/or plan to set up GCCs following the recently signed FTA. (Source: Deccan Herald)
20% of global semiconductor design talent is based in India. (Source: Times of India)
India’s manufacturing PMI hits highest level in over 17 years. (Source: Times of India)
Spotlight: “Future Forward in Sustainable Mobility”
The German Indian Business Alliance is inviting for the “Future Forward in Sustainable Mobility” dialogue on September 10th, 2025.
Alongside this year’s IAA Mobility Messe 2025 in Munich, the forum brings together industry leaders, investors, and policymakers for an exchange of insights on battery technologies, green infrastructure, regulatory frameworks and scaling of sustainable mobility systems.
Source: German Indian Business Alliance (2025)
Aim is to create a network with the partnership between India and Germany at its core.
Find more details in the following registration link and secure your spot here.
Curiosity Corner
Your random facts and stories about India and the Indo-European friendship.
This week: the sheer scale of India’s wedding market.
Indian weddings drive a massive economic engine, generating an estimated USD 130 billion annually and far larger than European wedding markets. With over 10 million weddings each year, India’s wedding ecosystem spans fashion, hospitality, décor, entertainment, luxury goods, and emerging wedding tech, reflecting both deep cultural traditions and modern innovations.
In contrast, European weddings tend to be smaller-scale affairs with more modest spending, generally measured in thousands rather than tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars, making Indian weddings not only grand cultural celebrations but also a uniquely powerful economic phenomenon on the global stage.
What was your favourite section this week?
Enjoyed this issue? Share the newsletter with your network.
Whenever you’re ready, here are 3 ways I can help you:
1. Real Estate Services
From Corporate Real Estate and Workplace services to holistic real estate consulting and development support, I’ll help you focus on your core business.
2. Market Entry India & Emerging Markets
As Advisor to Zinnov, a leading consultancy for globalisation in Tech, I help you set up your organisation’s GCC in India and Emerging Markets.
3. Collaborations & Promotions
I’m a proponent of ecosystems and partnership networks. Whether it’s collaborating on a project, participating in your event or promoting ideas, please reach out.
You can’t get enough or want to catch up on past editions? Follow the link!
