Try GOLD - Free
'German Firms Use India As A Key Hub'
The Dollar Business
|September 2017
Germany Trade and Invest (GTAI), the economic development agency of Germany, has been assisting German businesses in seeking opportunities in India and vice versa for almost three decades now. The Dollar Business caught up with Asha-Maria Sharma, Director, GTAI India, to understand how GTAI has been helping German and Indian companies – particularly SMEs – connect.
TDB: Germany Trade and Invest (GTAI) has been working towards improving trade relations between India and Germany for years now. Do you think bilateral trade between the two countries is heading in right direction?
Asha-Maria Sharma (AS): India is an important country for Germany, as India ranks 28th in the list of the most important suppliers and 24th amongst the most important German export destinations. Germany is also India’s largest trading partner in the EU.
The Germany Trade and Invest (GTAI) has been working closely with the Indo-German Chamber of Commerce (IGCC) for many years. And the bilateral trade between India and Germany clearly shows an upward trend. Although growth over the last few years has been moderate because of the gloomy global economy, the trade volume has grown to €17.4 billion in CY2016 from €10.5 billion in CY2006.
TDB: How do German companies perceive India’s present economic environment?
AS: Currently, about 1,800 German companies have business set up in India. In fact, many of them have been settled here for a long time now. In terms of doing business in India, there are still some challenges – for instance, logistics can be very challenging. But, with that said, the German business community has very well received the Indian government’s decision to liberalise the FDI regime and its efforts to improve the ease of doing business. And, most importantly, India offers immense business opportunities in various fields.
TDB: In what ways is GTAI helping Indian and German companies engage in investment and business?
This story is from the September 2017 edition of The Dollar Business.
Subscribe to Magzter GOLD to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 10,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
MORE STORIES FROM The Dollar Business
The Dollar Business
FTP Mid - Term Review : Will Exporters Woes Continue?
India's exporters got little from this year's Union Budget. The recently implemented Goods and Services Tax (GST) further left them confused. They now can't wait to learn what 'happy surprises' the mid-term review of the Foreign Trade Policy has in store for them. And not to say, their expectations from the mid-term review have changed in the past weeks. [It's just getting bigger!] The Dollar Business reaches out to India's EXIM community to learn what it desires from the FTP revision and how GST has impacted its wishlist.
15 mins
August 2017
The Dollar Business
Exporters Find It Tough To Honour High Volume Commitments
Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA), established in 1985, has been instrumental in identifying new markets and providing better support systems to exporters of agricultural and processed food products. In a tête-à-tête with The Dollar Business, Devendra Kumar Singh, Chairman of APEDA, throws light on the various initiatives that APEDA is taking up to give exports a boost.
6 mins
August 2017
The Dollar Business
Can India's Outsourcing Industry Survive The Trump Attack?
Uncertainty has descended upon the $150-billion Indian outsourcing industry in anticipation of the protectionist regime under President Trump. Protectionism has been a popular election rhetoric across nations, and more so in recent times. And the voting masses seem to like it. Will Trump’s campaign cry for protectionism cross the boundaries of poetic drama and come alive as laws? There is no doubt that US being the largest consumer nation in the world, governments across the globe will keep a close watch on Trump’s policies. India will be no exception. The hot-button topic for India – ‘outsourcing’, has surfaced again and the impact of Trump’s announcements, be it restrictions on H-1B visas or penal taxes on US companies for outsourcing jobs, is being felt already in India. And this, coming during times when India's outsourcing industry has been experiencing a rough patch isn't an encouraging development. How hard will an avalanche of protectionist measures from the Trump regime hit India's outsourcing industry?
24 mins
February 2017
The Dollar Business
Our Sourcing From India Will Double In The Next Few Years
It's a known fact that the Indian government is working hard to increase defence and aerospace procurement from indigenous sources – from the current 40% to 70%, in the next 10 years. The Dollar Business recently caught up with Pratyush Kumar, President, Boeing India, to understand how manufacturers in India can leverage growth opportunities and what makes India a preferred sourcing destination for the American aircraft-maker.
4 mins
February 2017
The Dollar Business
Telecom Exports Can Be The Next Big Growth Area
Telecommunications is one of the fastest growing sectors across the globe. Telecom Equipment and Services Promotion Council (TEPC) has been actively working to promote India’s exports from this sector. In an exclusive interaction with The Dollar Business, Rakesh Kumar Bhatnagar, Director General, TEPC, talks about the issues plaguing the sector and the outlook for the future.
5 mins
February 2017
The Dollar Business
'Li-ion' Of The Imports Business...Become One!
To say that almost all modern day gadgets are powered by lithium-ion batteries would not be an exaggeration. From mobile phones and medical devices to defence equipment, these batteries are omnipresent. Interestingly, while their demand has been on the rise little has been done to produce them indigenously. And that means importers of these batteries are making hay. The Dollar Business analyses the present and the future of the business.
6 mins
September 2017
The Dollar Business
'It's Puzzling That Exports Hasn't Been Consistent'
Dr. Rakesh Mohan over his long and illustrious career has been the Deputy Governor of Reserve Bank of India (RBI); Executive Director at International Monetary Fund; Chief Economic Advisor to the Ministry of Finance, GoI and more. In an exclusive interaction with The Dollar Business, on the eve of the launch of his new book, he held forth on a wide-range of topics including fiscal responsibility, GST, the role of RBI and more.
5 mins
September 2017
The Dollar Business
'India Is An Exciting Place To Do Business In...'
Cargill Inc., a multi-national food major with a presence in 70 countries, started operations in India in 1987. Today, the company is one of the largest originators and marketers of several commodities in India. Siraj Chaudhry, Chairman, Cargill India, in an exclusive interaction with The Dollar Business, talks about Cargill’s journey in India – trials, tribulations, triumphs and the road ahead.
5 mins
September 2017
The Dollar Business
A Profitable Connection?
From postcards to video calls, the world has moved on to newer, faster and easier forms of communication in a matter of a few decades. This progress has been made due to the proliferation of optical fibre cable (OFC) networks around the globe. But many miss the fact that India is already the world’s third-largest exporter of OFCs, with exports witnessing double-digit growth over the last few years.
5 mins
September 2017
The Dollar Business
'German Firms Use India As A Key Hub'
Germany Trade and Invest (GTAI), the economic development agency of Germany, has been assisting German businesses in seeking opportunities in India and vice versa for almost three decades now. The Dollar Business caught up with Asha-Maria Sharma, Director, GTAI India, to understand how GTAI has been helping German and Indian companies – particularly SMEs – connect.
5 mins
September 2017
Translate
Change font size