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Rise of the Week: Europe and India are Busy Meeting
The past week has witnessed a flurry of diplomatic activity between India and several European nations. This heightened engagement at both EU and national levels signals the accelerating EU-India partnership, with negotiations advancing toward a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) targeted this year.
Image: ChatGPT
Representatives from Austria, Italy, and Germany all met with their Indian counterparts recently. These delegations discussed not only strengthening bilateral economic ties but also the broader EU-India FTA and the India-Middle-East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEEC), as reported for the latter by the Indian Express.
Another sign of the momentum is the planned visit of Croatia, Norway, and the Netherlands by India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his Europe trip planned for mid-May. According to The Economic Times, focus will be strategic discussions on the key sectors:
Renewable energy
High-Tech
Semiconductor
Investments
This follows announcements about an intended Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between India and the Netherlands for a closer partnership in semiconductor development and manufacturing.
The model is helping both countries work together on global challenges and turn ideas into real-world solutions.
During a visit by a Bavarian delegation led by Minister-President Markus Soeder, India's Union Minister of State for Science and Technology, Dr. Jitendra Singh, confirmed a partnership agreement focusing on artificial intelligence, quantum technologies, and green hydrogen. This collaboration is supported by the Indo-German "2+2" model, which fosters connections between universities and businesses to create innovation clusters.
The momentum behind the India-Europe partnership continues to build, a sentiment also echoed by numerous of my business contacts across India. For European businesses, the question is no longer if this partnership will materialize but when they will fully embrace the emerging opportunities.
Sources: The Economic Times, Indian Express, Federal Ministry of Economic Affairs, Energy and Tourism of Austria, Economic Times Manufacturing
What Else is Rising?
India Overtakes Germany as World’s 3rd Largest Generator of Electricity from Wind and Solar
In the recently published report “Global Electricity Review 2025”, the global energy think tank Ember provides a comprehensive overview of the state of renewable energy globally. And India keeps shining.
India's impressive renewable energy trajectory is characterized by several key developments:
Wind and solar power generation has nearly doubled in the past 5 years.
India is one of three countries that committed to triple their renewable capacity by 2030 compared to 2022 levels.
Clean energy sources accounted for 22% of India's electricity mix in 2024.
While this progress marks a significant achievement, India's power demand continues to be predominantly met by coal.
Looking ahead, India has set ambitious targets, aiming for non-fossil fuel sources to contribute 50% of its power generation by 2030. According to Ember, reaching this goal will require annual funding increases of 20% from current levels to support the necessary infrastructure development and capacity expansion. This should be a promising development for Europe’s leading energy companies and confirms it being a key sector in the EU-India talks.
Source: Ember, Indian Express
Quick Risers
FlixBus India, the Indian subsidiary of the German travel operator Flix, reached its milestone of 1 Million passengers in just over a year. Flix started operations in India in February 2024. (Source: FlixBus India)
Hyundai India targets to become the manufacturing hub for the company’s exports into emerging markets. (Source: The Economic Times)
Ola Electric, one of India’s leading electric scooter makers, reported 23,430 registrations in March. (Source: Autocar Professional)
Foxconn, the leading vendor for US tech company Apple, plans to acquire 300 acres of land in Noida for its first manufacturing site in North India. (Source: Business Standard)
India’s finance ministry apparently plans to liberalize market access for foreign investors. Foreigners are currently restricted in investing in India’s market directly. (Source: Businessworld)
The US semiconductor company Lam Research acquired 25 acres of land in Bengaluru from the Indian developer Embassy Group for INR 1,125 crore / EUR 125 Million. This is considered a confirmation of the growing importance of India’s semiconductor sector. (Source: The Economic Times)
Spotlight: Over 100 Years of Bosch in India. Does history repeat itself?
Bosch, the reknown German technology company, has been present in India for over 100 years. Reason at that time: not to miss out on India’s market potential.
Source: Bosch
What can you learn from history? Read about Bosch’s history here.
Curiosity Corner
Your random facts and stories about India and the Indo-European friendship.
This week: The modern numeral system originated in ancient India
The modern numeral system, known as the Hindu-Arabic system, originated in ancient India (6th or 7th century) and made arithmetic and record-keeping far more efficient than previous systems. Through trade and scholarly exchange, Indian numerals spread to the Islamic world and then to Europe, revolutionizing global commerce, science, and daily life. Today, the digits 0–9 are used worldwide, and India’s system remains the foundation of modern mathematics and technology.
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