Hey Risers
Happy New Year! I hope you and your loved ones had a restful holiday and are ready for a successful year ahead.
To kick off 2026, I want to take a moment to reflect on the momentum of last year and provide a strategic outlook for what lies ahead. Below, you’ll find the curated highlights of 2025 and a roadmap for what to expect from India Rising in 2026.
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Number of the Week
2026
A new year full of opportunities, fresh insights, and a defining chapter for the Indo-European corridor. We are ready to analyse it all.
Happy New Year Greetings
Highlights 2025: Essential Readings
Throughout the 40 weekly issues that I shared with you last year, I indicated the pivotal shifts in the Indo-European partnership. And I’m not only talking about the opportunities between both regions and in certain sectors, but also the challenges European businesses already face today due to a lack of focus.
Missed an issue? Here are the year’s most impactful stories, curated by sector:
The Innovation Engine (Tech, AI & R&D)
Why European companies leverage India and its growing ecosystem.
India Rising #2: German companies line up to innovate from India and India’s IPO frenzy show: technology is increasingly coming from India.
India Rising #23: The India Semiconductor Mission starts proofing successful. And indicates the ecosystem build up is accelerating.
India Rising #28: German businesses leverage India hubs for innovation and growth and global PE firms move Asia HQs to India: India takes on key positions in global businesses.
India Rising #39: Big Tech bets on India with largest AI investments outside the US. So do other sectors as FDI surges.
India Rising #40: India will be key in AI race, as the country ranks in global top 3.
The Build-Out (Infrastructure & Real Estate)
The physical foundation of the upcoming 3rd largest economy.
India Rising #12: India’s real estate market confirms the scale of development. India’s GDP overtaking Japan’s does so as well.
India Rising #15: The infrastructure push confirms a strengthening foundation for India’s economy, and European businesses already profit from it. Return of Indian tech companies shows: time to catch the opportunity.
India Rising #18: The industrial real estate sector confirms why India is becoming a key manufacturing hub.
India Rising #31: Urbanisation will play a key role in India’s economic success.
India Rising #33: A data center boom and renewable energy exceeding targets: infrastructure build-out in key sectors substantial.
Mobility & Supply Chains
Planes, trains, and the automotive pivot.
India Rising #7: European carmakers are far behind their competitors. And still ignore the third largest automotive market.
India Rising #16: India's aviation market is skyrocketing and I provided a list of companies already profiting from it. Record number of German companies plan to invest in India.
India Rising #18: First bullet train project on track shows the quality being built in India.
India Rising #22: European involvement in Bengaluru’s metro lines.
Strategy & Geopolitics
The policy framework driving the partnership.
India Rising #8: The Free Trade Agreement with the UK and its ties with the Nordics indicate the India’s growing importance also for the EU.
India Rising #20: India is becoming a more prominent partner “thanks to” US-imposed tariffs. FDI reaching 3 year highs further confirms the trajectory.
India Rising #27: The European Commission unveiled the “New Strategic EU-India Agenda”, a clear signal for the Indo-European partnership. Well funded Indian companies increasingly acquire European businesses shows: competition is moving to Europe.
India Rising #36: Germany and France strengthening defence ties with India shows: India is becoming a core partner globally.
India Rising #37: GDP growth beats expectations: India is growing faster despite global challenges.
On top, we had important contributions from our community and leading organisations on a variety of topics and sectors. I strongly recommend following up on those as their key takeaways are more relevant than ever.
India Rising Perspective
Inside the $1 Trillion Economy - Issue 1: Tamil Nadu × Europe: A Shared Industrial DNA and the Rise of a Global Electronics Powerhouse (Priyadarshini Samikumar & Godson Rai, authors from Guidance Tamil Nadu)
Inside the $1 Trillion Economy - Issue 2: Tamil Nadu’s GCC Ascent: The Silent Champion of India’s Knowledge Economy (Priyadarshini Samikumar & Godson Rai, authors from Guidance Tamil Nadu)
Guest Articles
India-EU FTA, by Janine Haesler & Kanwar Vivswan
Why India Matters, by Vijay Kumar Vaddadi
The Green Imperative in India, by Araddhna Mangala & Shweta Sawhney
Green Hydrogen - Unlocking Indo-German Synergies, by Adithya Nataraj Ramalingam
Business Models in Transition - Why Traditional Export Strategies No Longer Work, by Wolfgang Bergthaler
Any highlights for you? Let me know and hit reply, I’d love to hear from you!
Outlook 2026
A Pivotal Year for the Indo-European Partnership
The Indo-European partnership will strongly accelerate in January and Q1 overall. Several key summits and gatherings are upcoming and will provide tailwinds for the whole year:
Mid January: German Chancellor Merz will visit New Delhi.
January 26-27: EU leadership arrives for Republic Day & the EU-India Summit. Focus: EU-India FTA.
February 15-20: Global AI Summit in India.
2026 Theme: This is officially the “India-France Year of Innovation”, so expect a steady cadence of summits and collaborations in technology.
These diplomatic milestones are backed by real activity on the ground. As my curated highlights of 2025 indicated: the Indo-European opportunity is growing rapidly throughout all sectors.
Editorial Update - What We’re Building
India Rising is growing. My weekly updates will continue, but expect more insights from our community as well.
India Rising Perspectives
Following our recent launch, we are releasing two more issues from our authors from Guidance Tamil Nadu in January. Expect more curated insights by institutions and companies.
Guest Articles
We have a strong lineup of guest articles in preparation. I’m excited to share these with you in the coming weeks, covering sectors ranging from cross-border investments to M&A and more, written by leaders actually building the partnership.
Spotlight: India Now 4th Largest Economy
Just before the end of the year, news broke out that India officially overtook Japan as the world’s 4th largest economy.
By 2027 or 2028, Germany is expected be replaced in the global top 3 by India as well.
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