The German-Indian Round Table (GIRT) has set itself the task of promoting economic relations between Germany and India. Entrepreneurs meet at regular intervals in several German and Indian cities to exchange experiences about business in India. The management consultancy Dr. Wamser + Batra GmbH is now also organizing the get-together for the Ruhr area.

Around 4 company representatives from across the Ruhr region, primarily managers of medium-sized companies, attended the opening event at the Harmonie company in Bochum's city park on November 30. "The Ruhr region is particularly characterized by medium-sized manufacturing companies. A large proportion of them are already active in India, and quite a few even have production sites. The GIRT Ruhr region is therefore aimed at entrepreneurs and decision-makers who want to share their experience of India with one another and discuss current developments, opportunities and difficulties of doing business in India together," said Mike D. Batra, Managing Director of Dr. Wamser + Batra GmbH and spokesman for the GIRT Ruhr region.

The Consul General of the Republic of India, Mr. Raveesh Kumar, was present as the guest of honor of the evening. Not only was it the first visit by a leading Indian diplomat to the central Ruhr area in more than 20 years, but the Consul General also took the opportunity to meet three entrepreneurs in Hattingen (maschinenfabrik Köppern GmbH & Co. KG), Witten (JD Neuhaus GmbH & Co. KG) and Bochum (Klaus Union GmbH & Co. KG) about their activities and experiences in India.

In his speech in the evening, the Consul General presented the reform plans of the new Indian Prime Minister, Narendra Modi: "The new government is aware of the challenges facing India. We cannot solve the problems of the past overnight, but the current Indian government is tackling the issue with great commitment and seriousness. Obstacles to growth have already been addressed with the first important reform measures. These include the first concrete steps to reduce corruption and bureaucracy. The Prime Minister has put the country in a real spirit of optimism." As another example of the positive changes, the Consul General cited the "Make in India" campaign, with which the Indian government is pursuing the goal of improving India's attractiveness as a production location for global exports. This also includes the fact that the Indian Consulate General wants to actively contribute to improving the investment conditions for German companies: "We endeavor to help every German company with any bottlenecks and difficulties in India," said the Consul General.

The positive changes are also highlighted by Dr. Johannes Wamser, managing director of Dr. Wamser + Batra GmbH: “The first reform measures give hope for a noticeable and sustainable improvement in investment conditions for foreign companies. India certainly still has a long and difficult road ahead. But the new government is definitely willing to actually tackle the problems. We and our customers are extremely positive about the current developments.” The management consultancy Dr. Dr., which specializes in India With around 50 employees, Wamser + Batra currently supports around 100 European companies in their activities on the Indian subcontinent.

The new GIRT Ruhr area is also supported by the Chambers of Industry and Commerce in the Ruhr area. “India will continue to be an important topic for our companies in the future,” said Dr. Hans-Peter Merz, Head of International Affairs at the IHK Mittleres Ruhrgebiet, “because the Indian market needs high technology. And corresponding niche kings, especially in mechanical and plant engineering, are at home here in the Ruhr area.”