Hey Risers
Thank you for subscribing to India Rising. I’m really glad to have all of you on this Indo-European journey. Keep spreading the word to support the Indo-European partnership!
From the potential acceleration of the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between India and the EU thanks to US tariffs, the booming real estate market in India and news on the M&A front, we’ll cover a broad range of topics this issue.
Curious about what you can expect in the future? In addition to covering news, special content is planned for India Rising. So stay tuned for more and don’t forget to share India Rising with your network.
Got feedback? Just hit reply, I’d love to hear from you!
Rise of the Week: US Tariffs Might Accelerate the India-EU FTA Talks
While the US applies tariffs globally, both the EU (including representatives of its nation states) and India shared that talks for their Free Trade Agreement (FTA; see the plans I shared in Issue #1) are progressing well. And might actually be accelerated. A good sign for the growing interest of European businesses in India.
Source: ChatGPT
Hervé Delphin, EU Ambassador to India, shared the following statement according to a Hindustan Times article titled “US tariffs strengthen rationale for India-European Union FTA: EU ambassador” published on 04 April 2025:
The global environment is accelerating negotiations. The reciprocal tariffs by the US strengthen the rationale for an India-EU FTA, but it will not define them.
Delphin refers to the US tariffs that took effect on 05 April 2025 and that impact the two regions to a different extent:
The positive sentiment towards the India-EU FTA shows proof by recent actions and comments by both German and Dutch representatives. In the Business Standard article from 03 April 2025 on the upcoming change of government in Germany and the continued focus on India, German Ambassador to India Philipp Ackermann highlighted the importance of the FTA in the following quote:
We think it is a game-changer for our business in India and you will see more investment, no doubt
This positive sentiment is further confirmed by the planned signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Netherlands, home to sector leaders ASML and NXP, and India on intensifying R&D and trade in the semiconductor sector. In the respective article in The Hindu from 02 April 2025, the Dutch Foreign Minister Caspar Veldkamp’s reply on the tariffs further highlight the intention by EU members for stronger collaboration with India:
It is important to compare notes between the EU member states and India on these matters, because these [tariffs] affect all of us.
While the momentum is positive, it is important to mention that FTA talks have been ongoing since 2007, were suspended in 2013 and restarted in 2022. As reported in the Hindustan Times article, the most critical sectors appear to remain agriculture, pharmaceutical, chemical, fishing and automotive and the next round of talks are scheduled in New Delhi from 05 May 2025.
Sources: Hindustan Times, Business Standard, The Hindu
What Else is Rising?
Real Estate Leasing and Investment Demand Remains High
Real estate is an indicator of an economy and its trajectory. Demand is driven by companies that need to run their operations, whether its in offices, warehouses or production sites, and their employees seeking suitable housing. Evaluating various data points, the real estate landscape indicates a healthy trend in the Indian economy.
According to CBRE, leasing activity for office space is growing year-over-year and particularly driven by GCC demand:
The leasing trend is confirmed by strong inflows of institutional capital, according to Colliers India and Business Standard. At USD 1.3 Billion, inflows increased by 31% year-over-year and are expected to remain stable. While this is a reduction by 31% quarter-over-quarter due to high levels of investment in office and industrial space in Q4 2024, other asset classes such as residential or data centres saw increasing demand.
Quick Risers
Tata AutoComp will acquire IAC Sweden, a known Swedish automotive supplier. The acquisition is supposed to strengthen the Indian automotive component supplier’s relationship with European OEMs and presence in Europe. (Source: Autocar Professional)
Inpipe Sweden AB is reportedly expanding in India due to the anticipated India-EU FTA. The leader for Cured-In-Place-Pipes (CIPP), a technology that allows renovation of water and sewer pipes without excavation, expects to profit from India’s infrastructure boom. (Source: Business World)
The global asset manager TPG agreed to acquire a majority stake in Siemens Gamesa’s India and Sri Lanka business. The company is the renewable energy subsidiary of Siemens Energy, a global leader in energy technology from Germany. (Source: LiveMint)
A German chemical company intends to invest USD 1.5 Billion in India in the next 12 months, as shared by India’s Minister for Industry and Commerce Piyush Goyal. The unknown company secured 250 hectares of land near a port in a not disclosed state. (Source: The Economic Times)
BorderPlus, a workplace mobility platform from Mumbai, acquired Onea Care, a German healthcare recruitment firm. Goal is to streamline hiring processes for Indian healthcare professionals into Germany and other markets with high demand. (Source: The Economic Times)
According to data by the IMF, India could overtake Germany as 3rd largest economy by 2027. This would follow India’s surpass of Japan still in 2025 and could lead to a USD 10 Trillion economy by 2032. (Source: India Today)
Spotlight: New Feedback Functions for India Rising
We added community functions! Whenever you read India Rising online, you can now like and comment on the individual posts.
Take a look at our content here and give it a try!
Curiosity Corner
Your random facts and stories about India and the Indo-European friendship.
This week: India’s Languages
India is home to 22 major languages, written in 13 different scripts, with over 720 distinct dialects. Considering native and second language, Hindi, Bengali and Punjabi individually have more speakers globally than French or German.
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, we help you set up your organisation 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!
