Dr. Wamser + Batra, together with AHP International and VDB, carried out a successful market exploration trip for German railway technology and railway infrastructure companies to India (New Delhi, Kolkata and Mumbai) from May 17th to 24th, 2014.
Support in exploring trade and investment opportunities in the Indian railway industry and in establishing business contacts was the focus of the market exploration trip for German railway technology companies that Dr. Wamser + Batra together with AHP International and the Association of the Railway Industry in Germany (VDB) eV from May 17th to 24th, 2014 in New Delhi, Calcutta and Mumbai. The event was funded by the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWi) based on a resolution by the German Bundestag and is part of the BMWi market development program for SMEs.
The participants of the six-day market exploration trip were offered direct access to potential Indian public and private customers and partner companies. Operators and system providers as well as suppliers and manufacturers were involved in the on-site program. In specialist information events and as part of visits to companies and authorities, Indian and German experts provided German companies with first-hand, targeted general as well as industry- and topic-specific information on the Indian market. The focus was not only on getting to know market opportunities, but also on developing an understanding of the special features of the railway technology industry and showing ways into the market. Through German-Indian networking at the three stops on the trip with important industry players, important preliminary decisions for future business activities in the Indian market could be made and crucial contacts for later activities could be established.
Linda Oecknick, who works for Dr. Wamser + Batra, who accompanied the trip as project manager, said after completion: “The participants received both macro and micro impressions of the dynamics of the Indian metro and railway market, whereby the interaction of both elements should ensure a certain holistic nature within the market exploration. On the one hand, the interactions with system houses such as Siemens or Alstom have provided current market and project information for possible strategic decisions by the delegation participants; on the other hand, appointments with Indian Railways have provided the first important insights into official protocols and important approval procedures, such as: B. the RDSO, made possible and served to strengthen the network of local companies. The exchange with the metro companies represented another important point in the market assessment, as every Indian city with a population of over 3 million should have its own metro in the future - a measure that offers good opportunities for the German rail industry in India.
Despite economic growth slowing to 5 percent, India is still one of the fastest growing economies and remains a very attractive market region for the railway industry. With a current population of around 1,2 billion, India is expected to not only be the most populous country in the world by the middle of the century, but its growing gross domestic product will also place it in third place after China and the USA. India's state-owned company Indian Railways is one of the largest railway companies in the world, with 23 million passengers and 9.000 passenger trains running on India's rails every day. Massive investments in infrastructure are planned for the coming years, a large part of which will also go to the railway sector.
