Strengthening Indo-German Bilateral Relations in the Engineering Sector

Kolkata, India - The German Engineering Federation (VDMA) India organized a symposium on “Indo-German Business Forum: Strengthening Bi-lateral relation in the Engineering Sector” lately at Williamson Magor Hall, Bengal Chamber Kolkata, to further strengthen networking and cooperation among VDMA members, the Indo-German fraternity, and the local manufacturing industry.

In March 2021, India and Germany celebrated the 70th anniversary of diplomatic relations. Over the years, the relationship has progressed satisfactorily. Since 2000, Germany has been India’s seventh largest FDI provider and has invested a total of US $12.39 billion in India, primarily in automotive, transportation, electrical equipment, metallurgy, insurance, services, chemicals, construction, and trading. According to reports, 1,600 German companies, including 600 joint ventures, are operating in India.

Discussion galore

During this one-day event, renowned speakers from VDMA members and other organizations discussed a wide range of topics, from technology, automation, and digitization—offers to the engineering industry—to compliance, regulatory affairs, ease of doing business, and business opportunities for the local industry. The event featured a wide range of representations and demonstrations, including simulations, machinery, processes, imaging products, and materials. The symposium was attended by more than 85 delegates from industry, academia, and the media. The event’s knowledge partner was Rödl Partner, while the event’s ‘Technology Partners’ included VDMA members Emerson, Automation Solutions, HARTING, Schmersal, and SMS Group.

The event was graced by the Chief Guest, Manfred Auster, Consul General, Consulate General of the Federal Republic of Germany, Kolkata, and the Guest of Honour, Abraham Stephanos, Managing Director, Tata Steel Downstream Products Limited, along with Indrajeet Sen, Managing Director, International Combustion Ltd, Ritika Arora, Senior Associate, Rödl Partner, and Rajesh Nath, Managing Director, VDMA India.

In his welcome address, Nath discussed the challenges that the Indian engineering industry faced during the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as future challenges that they will face in order to meet current and future goals and expectations. He emphasized the significant recovery and drastic growth that these industries have achieved in 2021, as well as the new challenges that will emerge following COP26, as well as the need for sustainable development and integration of Industry 4.0 for a green initiative and the advancement of the Indian Engineering Industry.

This was followed by an insightful address by Auster, who mentioned the current change in the German government and provided a brief overview of the agendas and goals set by each party in the three-part coalition government, as well as how this may impact Indo-German trade relations and what changes to expect in future interactions. Stephanos shared a personal anecdote to highlight the exceptional craftsmanship and superior quality that German products have always been known for. He also spoke about TATA Group’s sustainability efforts, Indo-German relations, supply chain constraints, data handling, and government support to boost demand.

Doing business in India

In her presentation on ‘Ease of Doing Business in India-Emerging Trends and Developments in Indian Regulatory Regime’, Arora provided an in-depth knowledge of the difficulties faced by both international and domestic companies, from the start of a business to the smooth operation of the business. She shed light on various schemes and changes in the regime to facilitate business operations and make it more convenient and easier to run a business. She also provided a brief overview of the speculation surrounding changes and mergers of certain laws, as well as the impact they will have on operating businesses in India and what it will mean for foreign companies investing in India.

Vijay Jawade, Director, Sales and Marketing, Fluid Control and Pneumatic, Emerson Automation Solutions, began the technical presentation with a detailed but easy-to-understand description of what his company does. He gave an in-depth presentation on Safety and Risk Evaluation, as well as Digital Dust and Pulse Technology and IIOT for Factory Automation and Energy Preservation. Dr Girish Rao, CEO and Managing Director, Harting India Pvt Ltd, spoke next about Smart Solutions for Industry Power Cables. He discussed customized and standard solutions for Power Data and Connection with a focus on the process industry, material handling/conveying, food processing, and packaging industry.

Industry 4.0 trends

This was followed by a presentation by Prashant Erande, Head - Industry Verticals, Schmersal India Pvt Ltd, who explained the concept of Industry 4.0 and the need for the digitization that has been accelerated by the pandemic, as well as how this digitization occurs in relation to Conveyor Belt Systems and new and innovative developments by Schmersal in the realm of Conveyor Belts. Atanu Dey, Vice President, Head COE Electrics/Automation & COE Digital Solutions, and Sanjay Dasgupta, Vice President - Sales and Marketing India and Asia Pacific Region, SMS Group, gave the final presentation. While Dey discussed digitization of manufacturing and digital twins, Dasgupta focused on an in-depth analysis of the change in metallurgy and steel production processes with cost optimization and the way forward for the user industry to produce green steel.

Sandip Roy, Regional Head-East, VDMA India, moderated both sessions and thanked all attendees for their presence. The event ended on a positive note, allowing guests to network and interact with Symposium partners.

Image Source VDMA India