IGCC Industry Dialogue 2025

08/09/2025
News

Indo-German Chamber of Commerce Hosts Strategic Forum for Industrial Collaboration

The Indo-German Chamber of Commerce (IGCC) - Delhi, successfully hosted the inaugural edition of the ‘IGCC Industry Dialogue 2025', a new format business platform on Tuesday, 26th August 2025, at the Taj Mahal Hotel, New Delhi. The event brought together over 250 stakeholders from business, Government, and diplomacy, offering a powerful platform for strategic engagement between India and Germany on industrial innovation, sustainability, and bilateral cooperation.

This flagship initiative was possible with the support of Lead Partners: EDAG and Phoenix Contact; Associate Partners: DHL Express India, Infineon Technologies, TÜV SÜD, Roedl & Partner and Corporate Partners: BMW, Henkel, Orafol and Rhenus Logistics. The event was supported by the German Embassy, New Delhi, Germany Trade and Invest (GTAI), Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit- GIZ, and Indo-German Energy Forum Support Office (IGEF-SO).

The program started with the lamp lighting and the inaugural session of keynote addresses by senior leaders, who set the tone for strong bilateral collaboration.

Jan Noether, Director General, IGCC welcomed the participants and expressed gratitude to all the supporters of the IGCC Industry Dialogue 2025. He drew focus on the different forums of interaction and industry collaboration which IGCC has been successfully creating for more than 69 years in India.

Georg Enzweiler, Chargé d'Affaires, German Embassy, emphasized the role of such platforms in tackling challenges and unlocking bilateral opportunities. “Would like to congratulate the Indo-German Chamber of Commerce (IGCC) to take this initiative with an intention of exchanging latest industry information and networking of the Indo-German community. Platforms like these are extremely important to deliberate on the challenges faced by companies in doing business in both our countries but at the same time to explore opportunities to intensify their business footprints. I am sure institutions like IGCC, GTAI and GIZ will be more than happy to support Indian and German businesses in this endeavour.”

Seema Bhardwaj, Director, Germany Trade & Invest (GTAI) explained the role and unique offerings of GTAI, especially for Indian companies looking to expand to Germany, and the close collaboration with IGCC.

Farhad Vania, Senior Portfolio Advisor- Country Office New Delhi, Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) highlighted the immense work in the development cooperation area by GIZ in India for decades. He also spoke about the opportunities for the private sector via the engagements of GIZ with IGCC in key sectors.

Panel I: Unlocking the Green Economy

The panel on “Unlocking the Green Economy,” brought together industry and finance leaders to discuss how India and Germany can jointly accelerate the green transition. The session highlighted clean technologies, sustainable financing, and co-innovation as key enablers for large-scale transformation.

Sanghamitra Jayant Biswas, Business Strategy Lead, Siemens Energy India, outlined strategic pathways for India’s energy transition, stressing that clean technologies must scale rapidly to meet decarbonization goals while sustaining growth. Bipin Chandra, Director, EDAG India underscored the role of advanced digital and engineering solutions in developing green infrastructure and emphasized the integration of German standards in Indian manufacturing. Deepak Zade, VP, Industry Service– Green Energy & Sustainability and Environment Technology, TÜV SÜD underlined the need for robust safety, compliance, and quality frameworks to ensure trust and reliability in green energy projects.

From the finance perspective, Stefan Kliesch, Head Energy, KfW Development Bank showcased KfW’s long-standing support for India’s renewable energy expansion through the Indo-German Financial Cooperation, including solar, wind, hydropower, and the Green Energy Corridor.

The discussion also focused on grid modernization and the role of green hydrogen in decarbonizing heavy industries and long-distance transport. Financing mechanisms such as blended finance, concessional loans, and public-private partnerships were highlighted as essential to mobilize large-scale investment.

Moderated by Clemens Antretter Advisor Green Hydrogen, GIZ, the session reaffirmed that Indo-German collaboration is built on complementarity, where German technology and India’s market scale create mutual value. The dialogue underscored the partnership’s potential to drive resilient infrastructure, innovation, and inclusive growth in the global green economy.

Panel II: Beyond Automation- The Strategic Value of Smart Logistics

This panel moderated by Raghu Babu Nukala, Programme Director, GIZ, examined how India and Germany can optimize logistics infrastructure and reduce the cost of doing business through data, digitalization, and policy alignment.

Vivek Arya, Regional CEO, Rhenus Logistics, advocated for collaborative supply chains and standardizing infrastructure, while R.S. Subramanian, Senior Vice President for South Asia and MD, DHL Express India emphasized the link between logistics costs and ease of doing business, calling for more data-driven support systems. Shankar Iyer, Director (Sales & Handling) South Asia, Lufthansa Cargo AG echoed this, adding that advanced technology can ease operations and help bridge skill gaps. Panelists were optimistic about India achieving its logistics targets by 2030, noting significant opportunities for investment and growth.

Context 5 – Innovation and Industry in Focus

This segment had participation from Ritesh Mattoo, VP Sales & Marketing, EDAG India, and Dinesh Parwanda, Managing Director,Phoenix Contact India, who showcased their organisations’ commitment to innovation, sustainability, and further opportunities for Indo-German industrial collaboration.

Fireside Chat: EU-India FTA on the Horizon

Varda Taneja, Director-Government Affairs, Federation of European Business in India (FEBI), joined Jan Noethe, DG, IGCC for a fireside chat on ‘EU-India FTA on the Horizon’, emphasizing the transformative potential for EU businesses in India.

Speaking as the collective voice of EU enterprises, Varda Taneja highlighted how the FTA will address key barriers, including high tariffs, complex non-tariff measures, and regulatory uncertainties that currently challenge EU companies operating in India. She outlined significant opportunities in sectors such as green technologies, pharmaceuticals, and digital services, while emphasizing the agreement's strategic importance in creating resilient supply chains and deepening EU-India economic cooperation amid evolving geopolitical dynamics.

In the closing remarks, Jan Noether, DG, IGCC said, “The vast majority of around 2000 German companies in India continue to show a strong desire to investing and deepening their local portfolios. Given that, the IGCC Industry Dialogue provided an excellent forum of information exchange on current industry topics aiming at the fostering of Indo-German collaboration. The positive turnout and the overwhelming support of the Indian and the German businesses and partners made the inaugural edition of the IGCC Industry Dialogue in New Delhi a great success. We look forward to furthering the engagements”.

The IGCC Industry Dialogue 2025 reaffirmed the IGCC’s commitment to fostering strategic collaboration, innovation exchange, and sustainable industrial growth. With strong institutional support and active industry participation, the forum set a forward-looking agenda for deepening Indo-German collaborations and shaping the future of industrial transformation. We would like to thank all the industry stakeholders, partners and participants for their support and active participation at this inaugural session to make it a success.