The following experiences are encapsulated by German students from Karlsruhe Embark who attended the Indo-German Training Centre on a Study Trip to Mumbai.
Churchgate Walk
On the first day of our trip to Mumbai, we had the opportunity to explore the neighbourhood near our hotel. We started off with a short walk and were immediately struck by the beautiful architecture of the buildings around Churchgate. Our tour guide was very knowledgeable and gave us a fascinating history lesson about the area. We also had the chance to visit a large park nearby, where we saw many locals playing cricket. It was amazing to witness their passion for the sport and the camaraderie they shared with their friends.
Although we were all excited to be in Mumbai, the heat was a challenge for us as German students. We quickly learned to seek out shade whenever possible and carry plenty of water to stay hydrated. Despite the heat, we were still able to appreciate the beauty of the city and the warmth of its people.
During our walk, we also learned a lot about the traffic in Mumbai, which can be overwhelming for newcomers. Our guide taught us some useful tips on how to navigate the streets safely, including how to cross the road in a busy area.
Overall, our first day in Mumbai was a great introduction to the city and its culture. We were excited to see what other adventures awaited us in the coming days.
Nightlife in Mumbai
The nightlife in Mumbai is different from what I am used to in Germany. The bars, clubs, pubs and streets are full of life and energy. However, compared to Germany, there is less choice of alcoholic drinks and the nightlife does not last as long into the night. In Mumbai, most bars and clubs close at 1 a.m., while in Germany most pubs are open until the early hours of the morning.
There are many different bars. You can find both typical European bars, many clubs and various Indian gastronomy and bars, which illustrate the diversity of Indian cuisine. In addition, especially in Mumbai, you will never meet empty, quiet streets, as it is not uncommon to see in Germany. There is always a lot going on and you can feel the high population, which does not give you the possibility to feel alone. Even at night, the city appears bright and colourful due to its size, the many buildings as well as the colourful lighting!
It is easy to get in touch with the Indians and have conversations because almost every person speaks English. The locals are very interested, friendly and warm towards tourists and you can tell that they are happy to meet new people who come from other cultures. You can also feel safe at night, which you might not have expected at first. Another positive aspect is the variety of music played in the clubs and bars. From Indian music to Western music, there is something for everyone.
Furthermore, the noise from the traffic and the many homeless people on the streets are noticeable, which you have to get used to.
The Weather over our stay
The weather in India in early April is characterized by continuous, very hot air. In the region of Maharashtra, Mumbai, temperatures can reach 40 degrees Celsius. Accordingly, in the last ten days, it has been very hot every single day, without significant cooling. This can be challenging even for locals, but especially for us Europeans it was a very intense experience. We experienced the climate as particularly humid heat. In Germany, such temperatures are rather rare and are thus often perceived as exceptional. Compared to India, even the summers in Germany are usually cooler and less humid.
For this reason, it was particularly difficult for some to wear long pants. Nevertheless, in order to protect themselves from sunburn and heat stroke, and in order to do justice to the cultural conditions in the country, one has overcome.
The heat made you feel tired quickly and you had to rest regularly and drink enough water to protect yourself from dehydration. Indoor activities, restaurants and bus rides with air conditioning were thus welcome refreshments.
Despite the challenges presented by the weather, one is grateful to have had this opportunity to visit this beautiful country and experience the rich culture of India. Many were impressed by the friendliness and hospitality of the people here and the diversity of the culture. It has been an unforgettable experience to visit India and surely everyone will always remember this trip and the unusual weather.
Mumbai Highlights Bus Tour
On our second day in the city, we took a Highlights Bus Tour, which was a great opportunity to get to know the rich cultural and historical heritage Mumbai has to offer. We got to see many iconic landmarks on the way to our numerous stops. One of the most memorable visits for me was Dhobi Ghat. The concept of the big laundry, which is a million-dollar business, was very impressive.
Further stops on the tour were the Hanging Garden and Kamla Nehru Park as well as Ban Ganga Tank. The Hindu temple with a lake in the centre was very fascinating and I was very grateful to be permitted to visit such a holy place. Equally intriguing was the Radha Gobinath Temple where we witnessed a service and received the chance to speak to a priest. He introduced us to some fundamental concepts in Hinduism. Another interesting stop was the Mani Bhavan Gandhi Museum. We learned more about Gandhiji’s path in life and even got to stand on the same balcony he stood back in the day.
In a nutshell, the bus tour was a valuable experience that allowed us to explore the many sights Mumbai has to offer and learn about the history of the city while having lots of fun.
Dabbawalla System in Mumbai
The Dabbawalla System is a unique logistics system in Mumbai, India that has been in existence for over 100 years and delivers thousands of lunches to working professionals in the city on a daily basis. The system is based on a network of almost 5,000 Dabbawallas who deliver around 200,000 meals to over 200,000 customers every day. Today we’ve had the chance to meet a real Dabbawalla who delivers dabbas (lunchbox) for over 10 years. He was really fun and friendly and answered all our questions.
We’ve learned that the system operates on a simple yet effective method: the meals are prepared by housewives in the morning and packed in special containers (Dabbas), which are then collected by a Dabbawalla from the housewife's residence and taken to the customer's workplace. The Dabbawallas collect the Dabbas from various homes and transport them to a central sorting centre by train. There, the Dabbas are sorted and forwarded to the right Dabbawalla, who delivers the meal to the end customer. At the end of the day, the empty Dabbas are returned. The Dabbawalla System is an example of the strength of traditional logistics and shows how simple yet effective methods can be (Cross Docking and Six Sigma).
Report about Rhenus Logistics
Rhenus Logistics is a global logistics service provider with over 750 locations worldwide. The company offers a wide range of logistics services, including air and sea freight, contract logistics and warehouse solutions. The company's extensive network of distribution centres enables it to offer efficient supply chain solutions to clients across a variety of industries. The main headquarter of Rhenus India is located in Mumbai City. During our stay in Mumbai, the IGTC program enabled us to visit the Rhenus location in Bhiwandi, India. Besides exciting impressions of the company and an insight into the warehouse logistics, we got the opportunity to gather a lot of information from Marcus Fornell. He is the director of Rhenus India and therefore responsible for the organization of all Rhenus locations in India.
After he and his team gave a detailed presentation about the facts and figures of the company, we were equipped with safety shoes and helmets and took a tour of the warehouse. Through the employees, we got interesting impressions about logistic processes and have received a lot of input about the storage of goods. After the tour was over, we finished the excursion with a delicious lunch. A local Indian restaurant and tropical weather allowed us to have exciting personal conversations with the successful Director of Rhenus.
Tech Mahindra
When it comes to TechMahindra, it's all about technology. Everything? Not at all!
The friendly and personable welcoming committee directly on the street, which led us into the vast office building, already showed that this is about pragmatic solutions and people. Welcome to the TechMahindra Contact Center!
Tech Mahindra is the IT company within the Mahindra Group and, with around 157K employees, supports Allianz Versicherung and Telefonica Germany, among others - in addition to approximately 1,290 global customers.
Customer experiences are the responsibility of the company's contact centre.
Here we were able to experience how these have changed in recent years: away from the "call centre" to the holistic "contact centre" via chat. Mail and increasingly via bots and AI.
Today, Tech Mahindra employs over 3,000 people who deal with AI technology, bots, BI and data mining. The focus is on increasing efficiency and successful customer journeys.
Tech Mahindra has the know-how to connect and intelligently evaluate different data sources from corporate customers to improve the customer experience.
Similar data evaluations in combination with learning platforms are also used for the training and further development of employees or for the early detection of potential terminations by employees. This is an impressive opportunity to use technology to identify grievances and unwanted consequences in certain areas early and to approach affected employees.
Nevertheless, from a German point of view and against the background of German employee laws, data protection and work councils, the question arises as to where the line should be drawn.
It's probably about how you deal with it.
And here, Tech Mahindra impressed with a people-centric approach that uses diversity and enables and promotes personal development - resulting in above-average lengths of time in the company of sometimes seventeen and twenty years (and certainly longer in some cases).
Tech Mahindra achieves this because people can always find themselves in new roles and responsibilities.
With this development-oriented approach and a positive mood, Tech Mahindra and its customers can master the ever-changing technological challenges.
Dharavi Slum
On our seventh day here in Mumbai, we visited Dharavi. Dharavi is one of the largest slums in India and one of the most densely populated places in the world. The slum covers an area of about 2.1 square kilometres and is home to about one million people. Dharavi is a place with a unique culture and way of working.
Dharavi residents work in various industries such as leather and plastic processing, recycling, textile manufacturing and other small businesses. Most of these businesses are housed in home workshops located in the narrow alleys and side streets of the slum. Workers labour in difficult conditions and are often unprotected from hazards such as toxic chemicals and poor hygiene. Working conditions are poor and wages are low. Despite this, labour in Dharavi is of great importance to the economy of Mumbai and the country.
The culture of Dharavi is characterized by a mixture of different cultures and religions. The people here are mainly Hindus, Muslims and Christians who live together peacefully. The area is known for its diverse festivals and celebrations such as the Hindu festival of Diwali and the Muslim festival of Eid. There is also a vibrant arts scene in Dharavi, with street performers, theatre groups and musicians.
Life in Dharavi, however, is not easy. Residents live in cramped conditions with little access to basic services such as clean water and sanitation. Diseases such as tuberculosis and cholera are common here. There are also problems with crime and drug abuse.
Despite all these challenges, there is also a strong community and solidarity in Dharavi. Residents help each other and share resources to survive together. Many non-governmental and non-profit organizations help Dharavi residents by providing access to education, healthcare, and other basic services.
Overall, life in Dharavi is a complex and contradictory reality. It is a place marked by poverty and inequality, but also by creativity, community, and strength.
“It was an indescribable experience. Never have I seen so many people in such poverty conditions. Despite everything, I was impressed by the positivity and friendliness of the residents.”, said one of the students.
Siemens
On Tuesday afternoon (4th April) we went to visit Siemens Limited in Kalwa. We arrived with a delay of nearly 1 ½ hours because of a traffic jam. The bus stopped at a big parking spot where a lot of trees were standing. In the trees were around 100 fruit bags sleeping. That was really cute and I had never imagined that they would live so close to a manufacturing plant.
After a short safety construction video, we went into the Siemens manufactory plant. Because of our delay, the manager of this plant showed us only a small presentation about the plant and what they are doing there. Really interesting for me that they have a bus transfer for their employees, which drives through Mumbai to pick up and drop off their employees. I knew that a transfer system like this is used on Siemens plants in other countries but I didn’t expect it in India. Another amazing opportunity from my point of view is that the employees have the possibility to bring their children to a Siemens creche. I think what is really special at this manufacturing plant is that they offer each year 120 students to learn for them like our German education system. I hadn’t heard of something like this before in other Indian companies. Within two years the students learn English and everything they need to know about electronics and mechanics. I think it is really amazing that the Siemens Kalwa management is giving so many people the opportunity to learn and get an education. At the end of the education class, not all of the students can be employed by Siemens but with their good education, they can find another job.
We also walked around to get an impression of how an Indian Siemens manufactory works. For me as employed by a Siemens factory in Germany, it was like walking into a German Siemens factory. The workplace design reminds me of the one which I am used to in Germany. Also, the robots, gripper and cylinder were the same brands as in Germany. The biggest surprise for me was that they are using automated production lines to manufacture their products. For the same steps, there are still humans who work but the bigger part was automated. I didn’t expect this after all the other Indian company visits where we were always told that it is cheaper with humans than with robots.
Of all the companies we visited on our trip to India, for me, Siemens Limited was one of the best ones (maybe I am not really objective). I had never imagined that it would be so similar to the manufactory I am used to.
Author: Katrin Sink, Student from DHBW Karlsruhe and Siemens AG Rastatt
Storytelling
Through the lecture on communication, I was able to gain an interesting insight into the development of communication tools. Storytelling was particularly highlighted, and as the topic was presented by two experts, some practical experiences were also shared.
Storytelling refers to the art of storytelling, which involves developing and presenting a story or series of stories that create an emotional connection with the listeners and transport them into another world. The concept of storytelling finds application in many areas, from advertising and marketing to education and training, as well as entertainment and culture. In advertising and marketing, storytelling can be used to tell brand or product stories, attract and retain customers.
In summary, I can say that the lecture provided new and interesting aspects of marketing.
Jugaad
Indian Jugaad is everywhere. You can see it on the streets, in companies, at home or simply wherever it is needed. It is the art of making life easier with the given means. It requires a lot of creativity and skill as Dr. Suhas Rane explained to us, but everyone can make it. In German it would probably be called "Zweckentfremdung" or even "Murksen". But not in a negative sense. Since as everyone knows "Gut gemurkst ist besser wie schlecht gemacht". Which you can translate to "a good Jugaad is better than a badly made one".
BASF
My highlight of the trip was the company visit to BASF. Through my training company, I had the opportunity to get to know BASF in Germany and was therefore very excited about the location in Mumbai. A big difference here is the competence. In Mumbai, the focus is on innovation development, while in Germany the main task is on chemical engineering.
In interesting lectures, we learned that BASF manufactures a wide range of products, ranging from pharmaceuticals to chemicals to agriculture. In order to be unique in the market, BASF offers particularly customer-oriented products.
During a guided tour through the building, we were able to inspect the diverse products. Each product had a different structure and an individual degree of hardness. For example, the film production equipment is very soft, which is made of plastic for safety reasons.
In the future, I will look more carefully at different materials, because "everywhere you look you can find a touch of BASF".
People
As a German student, I am always fascinated by the diversity and richness of Indian culture. The people here have incredible hospitality and openness towards strangers that I have rarely experienced in other countries. The colourful and lively streets with their numerous smells, sounds and crowds may be a bit overwhelming at first, but soon you realize that life is happening here in all its facets. I learned that there is a very different way of living together here, in a confined space and amidst many different religions and cultures. Although there are many social and economic challenges here, people seem to maintain an inner calm and serenity that never fails to impress me. Of course, there are problems and injustices here as everywhere else in the world, but I have the impression that people here are incredibly resilient and creative and support each other in difficult situations. Overall, I have the feeling that the Indian people are very proud of their culture and history and at the same time open to change and progress. It is fascinating to observe how tradition and modernity coexist here and influence each other. I am grateful for the many encounters and experiences I have had here, and I think that India is a country that will continue to captivate me for a long time.
SEW
After a drive of about four hours to Pune, with an intermediate snack at a rest stop, we reached SEW-Eurodrive in Pune. We were warmly welcomed with some refreshments in the SEW canteen. Well, satiated, we started our acquaintance with SEW.
Our morning started with an interesting presentation, which introduced us to SEW as a company but also to SEW in India in particular. We were given insight into the products that SEW sells and which of them are produced at the facility in Pune. To experience this at first hand we started a tour of the plant. Accompanied by managers from various SEW divisions and plants, we gained first-hand expert knowledge. Our varied questions during the plant tour were answered with pleasure. For us students, it was especially interesting during the tour to understand the reasons for manufacturing in Pune, as well as the differences from German plants. SEW with its headquarters in Bruchsal is close to our university. Some of the students already knew SEW and for some of us, it was also already possible to get a German plant tour. This made the differences in India even more apparent.
DHL
On Thursday, March 28th we visited a DHL service station. The service station was a bit difficult to find as it was very inconspicuously hidden behind a gate. But after a few minutes of searching, we found it and were warmly welcomed by the onsite employees. At the beginning of our visit, we received a short presentation in which the employees gave us a brief introduction to the company and how DHL Worldwide works. All of our questions were answered during this round. This included, for example, the question of how the employees actually find the addresses of the customers in Mumbai. It was explained to us that the employees only take over an area after a long training phase with a more experienced employee. After the presentation, we got a guided tour through the sorting hall. Here it was explained to us in great detail how the packages are sorted and loaded. It was very interesting to see how coordinated and planned everything is. Unfortunately, no packages were being sorted at the time of our visit, which was due to the fact that the employees were on their way to deliver the packages to the customers. It was also interesting to see how the well-being of the employees was taken care of. For this purpose, for example, mats were laid everywhere next to the sorting belt for the employees, which make standing more comfortable. After the tour, we all had lunch together at DHL. In conclusion, one can say that it was a very exciting insight into DHL and we learned a lot thanks to the openness of the employees.
Sustainability
In the form of a lecture by Natasha Majumdar, we learned many interesting insights into the topic of sustainability. One of the aspects here was that sustainability also refers to many other aspects than you would first believe. Sustainability is not only important for our environment. The "3 P's" of sustainability are People, Planet and Profit. These concepts form the basis for sustainable development and stand for the simultaneous consideration of social, ecological and economic aspects in companies, organizations and societies. Sustainable development aims to meet the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations. We then learned about the ESG concept. ESG stands for "Environmental, Social and Governance" and refers to the three key factors that are increasingly taken into account by investors when making decisions. ESG criteria are used to evaluate the sustainability and long-term performance of companies by analyzing a company's environmental and social performance and governance practices. We then worked in groups to prepare and present short presentations about sustainability. At the end of the lecture, Ms. Majumbar shared a famous quote from Gandhi about sustainability: "Earth provides enough to satisfy every man's needs, but not every man's greed."
National Park visit
The day began with stress. Originally, departure was planned for 9:30 am. At 8 o'clock, it was said that we would already leave at 8:30. We all hurried and finally sat in the bus that took us to Sanjay Gandhi National Park at 9:15. The anticipation was great.
Upon arrival, we were immediately greeted by monkeys. We had to be extremely careful with our backpacks because the monkeys tried to open them to get food. Among the cheeky monkeys sat a monkey family with a mother, father and baby monkey. The father put his arms protectively around the mother and child. This was the highlight of the day for many of us. We entered the national park, where our guide gave us some information about the national park. Afterwards, we had half an hour to explore the national park on our own.
We walked up the biggest hill to take the perfect photo with the perfect view. Once we got to the top, we had a gigantic view of the national park. On the horizon, we could see the high-rise buildings of Mumbai. Unfortunately, the time was much too short and we couldn't enjoy the view for long before we had to head back. That was very unfortunate. Since we were out in the sun and the climb was really exhausting, we all had bright redheads.
Then there was a safari. We all sat in a bus and drove through the wilderness for 20 minutes. There we saw 1 lion and 1 tiger sleeping in their cages. It was strange that the two were locked up. We had imagined the safari to be different. After the disappointing safari, we were asked if we would like to go on a boat tour. Nobody was interested and so our bus drove back to the hotel. Before the bus left, we were given lunch brought by the ITGC. The visit to the national park was really worth it and was a change from the crowded and loud city of Mumbai. I think I speak for everyone when I say that we would have liked to spend more time in the national park with the somewhat cheeky but really cute monkeys and that the safari would have been cancelled instead, where we only saw two wild animals, which were also locked up in cages. A big thank you to the supervisors who accompanied us on that day.
By Sophia Benz
Food
The food is fantastic, although it can take some time getting used to it, especially for a German. This is due to the fact that a variety of spices are used, which are not known in Germany. Among them are almost always hot spices, which lead to unforgettable moments at the toilet. Although the food often looks quite similar, you are always surprised by how different the various dishes taste. The breads, such as naan do not have a crispy crust but are essentially comparable to wraps or flatbreads.
The way of eating also surprised some, as knives and forks were not always used. Rather, people ate with their hands. To do this, you tear off a piece of the limp bread in order to use it to pick up rice, chicken, and potatoes and then eat this in conjunction with the bread.
It is also important to mention the amount and frequency of eating. In Germany, you are not accustomed to eating so rich, especially at breakfast. My breakfast in India is comparable to a dinner in Germany. And this is only the beginning of the day and there are many more rich meals to come. Since there are a lot of dishes to try in India and you don't know many foods yet, you tend to eat a little more sometimes so you have tried every dish at least once.
This leads not only to the fact that you have to go to the toilet much more often but also that there is a risk of gaining weight. After only 6 days I noticed that I had gained some weight. Although I have very good genes and metabolism, which makes gaining weight very difficult. But India makes it possible.
A particularly great and memorable meal was the one around 2:00-3:00 am, coming back to the hotel after the bar. During the stay, I made it a habit to order Fried Rice at the front desk. The well-filled bowl of Fried Rice with fantastically fresh ingredients like spring onions, carrots and spices was served along with three other smaller bowls of various sauces. Of these, the soy sauce was my favourite, whereas the spicier sauces were not meant for my stomach.
Culture
The Indian culture is unique. This includes not only religion, (very spicy) food, and art (graffiti), but also the unique sounds of traffic. Therefore, it takes some getting used to the fast traffic here and how to cross a street. Another journey through the country was made with the help of many culinary insights. The food was always very delicious, even if it was too spicy for many "German stomachs". Afterwards, people happily accepted Saunf, tasted their way through the spice market, and stocked up on quantities for their homeland.
However, what will remain particularly memorable to us is the encounter and contact with the people. Everywhere we were treated with incredible warmth, friendliness and kindness so that we immediately felt comfortable and welcomed.
Traffic in Mumbai
In Mumbai, there is traffic that resembles an adventure movie. Cars, buses, bicycles, tuk-tuks, animals and pedestrians fight their way through the narrow alleys and wide streets of the city. It's constant chaos, but it organizes itself in its own way.
The drivers seem to have their own version of traffic rules that are incomprehensible to the rest of the world. Red means "maybe" instead of "stop," and honking is used more as a friendly reminder to other drivers rather than a warning signal.
Unfortunately, this completely chaotic traffic situation also results in extremely negative accident rates. India ranks first in the statistics of traffic fatalities. The World Health Organization estimated that around 300,000 people died in Indian traffic in 2016a truly frightening number!
Nevertheless, as a tourist, you can also participate in the traffic without having written your will - you just need to bring a lot of caution and patience. As a pedestrian, especially as a tourist, using the magical right hand is often the adequate way to cross the street.
Overall, the traffic in Mumbai is not for everyone, but if you're willing to embrace the adventure, you can be sure to collect unforgettable experiences and see some unusual traffic participants.
Yoga
Among the interesting cultural differences between Germany and India and the comparison between the two countries, we once again gained knowledge about the interesting nation of India. Yoga and Meditation are one of the things you cannot leave out when you talk about the rich culture of India. Instead of just talking about yoga, we dressed in some comfy yet sporty clothes in order to practice the art of it. The most interesting factor about it was, that it is not just a sport. It is rather a way to combine your body with yourself and get a deeper understanding of your own body and soul. For most of us students, it was the first time to do yoga, nonetheless, it was a wholesome experience for all of us. The session was very beginner friendly and therefore appliable for everybody. We also combined the yoga session with some meditation afterwards and felt the peace within us. The experience inspired me to get more in touch with my body and motivated me to practice more meditation.