Tuesday, November 17, 2009

Business and science delegation led by Minister-President Günther H. Oettinger of Germany’s Baden-Württemberg in India


A 140-member business and science delegation from the south-west German state of Baden-Württemberg, led by Minister-President Günther H. Oettinger, is on a four-day visit to India. The delegation comprises of senior ministers of the state government, entrepreneurs, bankers, s
tate tourism officials and representatives of leading universities. On Monday, 16th November, the German Ambassador Thomas Matussek hosted a reception for the delegation at his residence, which was attended by more than 400 guests.

The visit of the delegation from Baden-Württemberg is a key initiative towards further strengthening Indo-German bilaterial relations. Germany is India’s most important trading partner within the European Union. Bilateral trade between the two countries has increased four times since India’s economic liberalisation in 1991, with total investments of about three billion USD from Germany in that period. At the same time, Germany has rapidly become a focal point for foreign investments by Indian multinational enterprises.

On Tuesday, 17th November, delegation member Prof. Pramod Talgeri presents a talk “Paradigm change in the Indo-German economic and cultural relations”. Prof. Talgeri, Vice-Chancellor of India International Multiversity in Pune, has been appointed as Member of the Indo-German Consultative Group by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. During the day, the business delegation participates in discussions on the topics “Baden-Württemberg – The German Southwest: Your Gateway to Indo-German Synergies”, and “India-Germany: New Business as Economy Rebounds”. The programme, in partnership with the Confederation of Indian Industry, includes partnership meetings with Indian enterprises.

In the political calendar, on Tuesday afternoon Minister-President Oettinger meets Delhi’s Chief Minister Shiela Dikshit and Deputy Chairman of the Planning Commission Montek Singh Ahluwalia.

The programme of the science delegation on 17th November includes a visit to Delhi University and meeting with the Vice-Chancellor Prof. Deepak Pental, and a visit to the ‘German House’ in Chanakyapuri, to meet representatives of the German Research Foundation (DFG), the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD), the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation, Max Planck Society, Freie Universität Berlin, the South Asia Institute of Heidelberg University and the German Development Cooperation (GTZ). Later in the day, the science delegation visits Max Müller Bhavan New Delhi, which is celebrating 50 years in India in 2009-2010.

Baden-Württemberg is one of Europe's leading technology regions and home to world industry leaders like Daimler AG, Porsche, Robert Bosch, Carl Zeiss AG and SAP. However, the strength of its economy comes from its small and medium-sized enterprises, which employ around two thirds of the state's workforce and generate half of the state’s gross national product. Baden-Württemberg is also home to some of the oldest, most renowned and prestigious universities in Germany, such as the universities of Freiburg, Heidelberg and Tübingen. It also has four of the nine German 'excellence universities' – Freiburg, Heidelberg, Karlsruhe, and Konstanz.

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