indien.ahk.de€¦ · ‘Virtual Market Entry’ - a new service offering a technology-enabled and digitally driven approach to entering the Indian market. This approach entails a

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Editorial

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Indo-German Economy 3 | 2020

From Mass to ClassThe Coronavirus has changed the world as we know it. To a certain extent, it came to a standstill. The prophets of the end of the World predicted a crash of planet Earth with a monster asteroid on the 21st of May. But an invisible crown nobody had on the radar did the unthinkable. No more International or local travelling, no more mass gathering, even no more schooling or universities. Unless a vaccine is developed successfully, we can forget any big sports event, conventions, concerts, political rallies, religious or cultural festivals, Ganesh Chaturthi, Kumbh Melas or even big fat Indian weddings. How will certain routines and habits change? Our schools and universities seem to have adapted very fast. They switched from physical to digital without much ado. But our traditional way of teaching, learning and researching is basically gone. In the German language, the freedom of education and research is called “Freiheit der Lehre”. Just one letter makes all the difference. “Freiheit der Leere” freedom of emptiness. Or the German word for university “Universität” with one letter different “Universitot” is dead! Learning and researching without being together physically is a radical change from centuries of studying. Will we create robots with all the web learning? We will certainly change the global understanding and living of the youth. Apart from being a multibillion-dollar industry especially with students from countries like India and China who study in the US, Europe and Australia studying has become a global exchange of young people in a phase that is critical for their whole life. If the last decades have been so relatively peaceful and prosperous globally it was also because the young elite could mingle and get to know and even love each other to become friends for life.If this interaction and exchange are going to be digital for long isolation, and nationalization will be the result. Research may be possible online to a certain extent but without personal discourse, the loss will be immense. Sport is another part of our life that can hardly be imagined without crowded arenas. Maybe here the digital reality could be accepted the easiest. Already, before Corona in soccer, cricket, tennis or events like the Olympics, the TV followers have outnumbered the stadium visitors by far. The German Bundesliga is watched live on average by 3,60,000 in the stadiums and 3 million pay to watch on TV. The IPL has an average of 2.5 million in stadiums and 462 million followers on TV and the internet. Wimbledon is followed by 5,00,000 at court 5.5 million on TV and the Football World Cup final in Moscow was watched by well over a billion people when a small crowd of less than 80,000 could make it into the Luzhniki Stadium. The stars may miss the cheering crowds. The noise could be created artificially and the on-screen majority would not even feel the emptiness of the stadium. And nobody misses the hooligans and no police protection needed to separate the fans and guard the Messis, Ronaldos, MS Dhonis or Virat Kohlis.

The conventions with thousands of people gathering in one place to exchange their views and do networking might also be a thing of the past. And maybe this will be easily replaceable with digital conferences. Often these conventions have become mass events with little substance, but more sponsoring bonanzas where the pushy consultants chase the few experts, and the sitting time in the numorous parallel sessions is similar to the resting time between two mouse clicks. The famous Davos World Economic Forum has become a paid-for speed dating tamasha with little substance and a lot of see and be seen. From superficiality to substance would not be a bad advantage of Corona. Not too often, a waste of money, time and energy has been accepted as a norm, not to mention the carbon footprint.

Besides tourism, the most affected industry is probably the trade fair industry. In Germany alone, it contributes EUR 28 billion to GDP. 165 fairs were cancelled or postponed. Totally new concepts have to be developed. The Corona disruption might have a positive effect. So far the success of a trade fair was mainly measured by the number of visitors. The more the better. In future, the focus will be on the deals done. In the past more often than not the plastic bag carrying pen collecting trade fair tourists were rather a pain than an asset. This will change. With social distancing, quality product presentations and sales negotiations will be the new normal. The masses can inform themselves on the net with digital fairs. The buzzword is hybrid. Efficiency will improve, the cost will come down and time will be saved. Musical concerts, operas, rock festivals like sports events could be enjoyed live on-screen rather than in the concert halls, opera houses or makeshift fields. Who always knew if the concert we enjoyed at home was recorded in the studio or the concert hall? And which one actually turned out to be better? Woodstock was a once in a lifetime experience, but those who still enjoy the music today could rarely have been there in the first place. The bands could have created the atmosphere even without sex, drugs and rock ‘n’ roll. Not easy but possible. Political rallies without crowds should also be possible. Nowadays social media campaigning is anyway standard and again the political discourse between the candidates mostly takes place in TV studios many a time without any public present and only the anchorman or woman conducting the discussion that is followed by the electorate from home. Most of the time, the live rallies are only conducted to cheer up their party members so that in return they can go door-to-door for campaigning. This is still possible with social distancing. The best success will anyway be a COVID-free electorate and the winner is the local MP who gets the schools, factories, shops and restaurants back on track. Religious and cultural festivals like Ganesh Chaturthi, Kumbh Mela, Oktoberfests or carnivals may have traditions over

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centuries bringing the masses together for a variety of reasons. Are they existential for life or can one if need be, live without? Certainly yes! Praying and worshipping with thousands of people may be something very special but it can also be done alone or with the closest relatives and loved ones. Why does one need thousands of strangers to really believe and pray for a better world? Same with partying and sometimes even getting drunk. The mass hysteria may be a tradition. But when something goes wrong everybody asks, was it really necessary? Again many of these events come at huge costs. Putting them up and down, keeping them safe, getting there, and the ecological footprint. Corona forces us to think twice. And finally, the big fat Indian wedding. Is it really necessary to make the lucky couple happy and their marriage a success for their parents to splurge often beyond their means on the crowds that turn up which the couple never knew before, meet for a few seconds and probably will never meet again? Wouldn’t a small

celebration with the closest family and real friends be more appropriate? And if the parents want to spend and show their wealth why not give it to the poor and lesser privileged? Corona forces us to think.

From waste to save and safe.From fast to slow.From superficial to super sound.From complex to simple.From exploitation to sharing.From fast track to right track.From shortcut to right cut.From rush hour to right hour.From overtime to smart time.From high speed to low speed.From fast food to slow food.From stress to relax.From pressure to leisure.From fear to joy.From waste to taste.From Wirtschaftswunder to living wunder.

Virtual Market Entry

The Indo-German Chamber of Commerce is pleased to introduce ‘Virtual Market Entry’ - a new service offering a technology-enabled and

digitally driven approach to entering the Indian market. This approach entails a resource-efficient ‘soft’ market launch of your product(s) at

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Please refer to our website for more information on this new service.bit.ly/2BFeJgs

Contents

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EditorialFrom Mass to Class 1

CooperationRemote Working: The New NormalIGCC Chennai Facilitates a Workshop and Virtual MeetingIndo-German Collaboration in Times of the Corona Pandemic:Webinar with Industry on Technical Market Access Challenges

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From our Partners’ DeskHamburg at a Glance: Industries, Networks and Opportunities 15

FairsIFA 2020 gets the go-ahead as a Real-Life Event in BerlinInnoTrans to take place from 27th to 30th April 2021Spielwarenmesse eG Restructures Business Operations in IndiaWindEnergy Hamburg to take place from 1st to 4th December 2020

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Chamber’s NewsThe Role of Digitalisation in India’s Battle Against the COVID-19Delegation Visit from Germany: Renewable Energy Technologies (Solar & Bioenergy)Mallikarjuna Joins as Regional Director in ChennaiIGCC Conducts Series of Webinars In Support Of Its MembersSpecial Feature

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SustainMarketsWorking Together Toward Economic RecoveryResponsible Supply Chains in the Textile and Clothing Sector

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IGTC NewsBusiness Learnings from BC to AD:Before Corona to After Disturbance, Destruction, Devastation?Lockdown Buster: Learning TransformationDigitalization@IGTC

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Members’ NewsThe Indo-German Chamber of Commerce welcomes its new members 61

Imprint 63

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SPECIAL FEATURESPECIAL FEATURE

Cooperation

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Remote Working: The New Normal

On 12th May 2020, in a free-wheeling conversation with Sindhu Gangadharan, SVP & MD – SAP Labs India and Bernhard Steinrücke, Director General, Indo-German Chamber of Commerce touched upon the various facets of remote working and the outlook for a post-COVID economy. Some of the key aspects covered during this conversation were as follows: The possible economic downturn and its aftermathIt is certainly a gloomy picture across the key economies with GDP contraction expected as per the International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) revised global GDP growth estimate. Despite the general downturn, there is hope and that comes from the Asia Pacific markets with India as the focus, which is expected to remain as the fastest growing major economy in 2020. These predictions for India will hold good only if it can flatten the curve of the epidemic sooner than later. One key reason for the Asian markets to cheer is the sheer volume of the stimulus packages announced across key economies in this region, which will ensure that the local economies will recuperate from the downturn. Digitally oriented societies: The reality of today and tomorrowIndividuals, organizations, governmental agencies and others have adopted the path of digital orientation over the past few decades. The advancement in technology

has enabled us to stay connected and carry out business as usual with minor disruptions. With technology at the forefront, the barrier of distance is no more a barrier at all, and humanity at large is leveraging the connected world experience. Sindhu also iterated on the fact that the pandemic has brought into sharp focus the need for effective Business Continuity Plan (BCP) and how organizations such as SAP through its proprietary software offering and by also leveraging its thriving startup partner ecosystem is trying to help its set of enterprise customers navigate through this new normal.

Some of the key technology topics across the enterprise domain as a post COVID-19 response includes a renewed focus on digital and agile supply chains, health & safety monitoring of employees/stakeholders’ part of a business, employee engagement and employee productivity support and others. Digital inclusion: SAP leading the wayIT companies across the globe are at the forefront of this battle. They are all ideating, building products which much agility to support their enterprise customers to navigate through this new normal and offering the vast expanse of technology and the possibilities of technology solutions for not-for-profits & government agencies in their fight against this pandemic.

Sindhu spoke about how SAP has opened its Ariba Discovery platform for free for 90 days since March 10th, which enables any buyer to post their immediate sourcing needs and any supplier can respond and fulfil the requirement. Similar support has been extended via SAP’s experience management solution called Qualtrics, which is enabling employers to respond to the most immediate needs across their teams such that they can serve their end customers better. Additionally, SAP Labs India’s Machine learning team played a significant role in creating a predictive simulation model for COVID-19 in synergy with the Indian Institute of Science. The contact tracing app for Germany is also getting developed by SAP in synergy with Deutsche Telekom. Sindhu also touched upon SAP and UNICEF’s strategic partnership to support the Generation Unlimited initiative, which will aim to help deliver an inclusive, global workforce. With a goal to help 1.5 million young people thrive, starting in a few focus countries, the partnership brings together businesses, governments and non-governmental organizations to build sustainable education models. She also spoke about the ‘Code Unnati’ initiative launched in India. Since 2017, SAP, together with customers and partners along with the support of the local, state, and national Indian government, has trained more than a million children across 14 states in language, digital skills, and math. Remote working culture: Impact on productivity and key trendsWork from home is here to stay at least for short-term to medium-term and corporations across the globe are re-aligning to this reality. The post COVID resumption of work will come with specific riders such as social distancing-maintained seating, mask compliance and regular cleansing/sanitisation activities. A recently published report featuring an Industry leader spoke on how during the lockdown, the IT industry transitioned to work from home (WFH) model rather smoothly providing business continuity to clients without lowering quality or productivity, surprising industry leaders and customers alike. One of the key reasons he has attributed

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to this successful transition is the availability of communication bandwidth both from homes in metros and in small towns. Sindhu also touched upon the aspect of productivity and the various researches carried out in the U.S revealed that close to 54% of the respondents confirmed that WFH has had a positive impact on their productivity. She referred to SAP conducting an internal survey to measure employee productivity across product engineering function. Based on an initial analysis, the results look promising as there is increased usage of the various collaboration tools and effective documentation, which earlier was done offline. Similarly, in the customer usage and support aspects, post the initial downward trend, now the trajectory is steadily moving upwards. Sindhu also spoke on various initiatives and measures such as Employee Assistance Program (EAP) and the need to ensure that there is a constant flow of communication and outreach to employees and make possible social gatherings and fun initiatives in the digital mode. These initiatives will ensure that employees are able to cope up with the negative impact of this prolonged work from home.

Keep the innovation and creativity quotient high: Do it the SAP wayIn these challenging times, staying aligned in the path of innovation and creativity is important for every organization and SAP stays firm to its commitment of keeping the innovation and creativity quotient high. Most of its traditional events have now become virtual, this a shining testimony to the fact that SAP is undeterred in its path of Innovation. SAP’s Come Alive initiative which delivers online fun, wellness and motivational programs - ranging from Zumba, Yoga to virtual music contest has played a key role in maintaining a healthy work-life balance and has also enabled in bringing onboard the creative self of its employees. The award-winning openSAP platform, which provides massive open online courses (MOOCs) to anyone interested in learning technology topics, has ensured that the learning curve isn’t impacted. Digital immersion: The only way forward for the manufacturing sectorThe manufacturing sector will need to tweak their business operations strategy and include Digital as the way word. Adoption of technologies that can assist their existing

workforce to operate remotely and while at their respective shop floors, will be the way forward for the manufacturing industry alluded Sindhu. Business continuity planning has never assumed this significance ever before. Organizations need to resume work and the broken supply chains need to be fixed.

There are key technologies that are a part of the larger Digital manufacturing construct such as Vision-based AI or Computer Vision which can play a critical role in terms of monitoring if employees are maintaining safe social distances at work, what surfaces are employees touching that may need frequent cleaning and sanitizing, the mask and temperature compliance and others. Internet of Things can enable to not just create digital twins of the existing machinery and allow any operator or service technician to provide remote support.

The key focus for the manufacturing industry is to re-calibrate accordingly and in this way, the industry could enable their blue-collared workforce to carry out business as usual.

IGCC Chennai Facilitates a Workshop and Virtual Meeting GST Implications on Business transactions due to LockdownOn 3rd June 2020, the Chennai office of the Chamber organized a Workshop on the Implications of the relief measures introduced by the Government on the computation of GST and filing of complaints/documents. The workshop was conducted by Jatin Sanghvi, CA and saw a participation of about 70 companies from all parts of India.

Meeting with the Principal Secretary, Government of Tamil NaduThe Chennai office of the IGCC organized an interactive session with N. Muruganandam, IAS, Principal Secretary (Industries), Government of Tamil Nadu for the benefit of German companies on 4th June 2020. Close to 20 German CEOs had a virtual face to face interaction with the Principal Secretary, who was very forthcoming and reassuring in

resolving some of the issues raised by the companies. The Principal Secretary also sought the assistance and cooperation of

the existing German Companies in India to motivate more such German Investments into Tamil Nadu.

Interactive webinar session with the Principal Secretary of Government of Tamil Nadu - N. Muruganandam (top row middle)

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Indo-German Collaboration in Times of the Corona Pandemic: Webinar with Industry on Technical Market Access Challenges

The Global Project Quality Infrastructure (GPQI) in cooperation with the German Embassy and the Indo-German Chamber of Commerce (IGCC) organised a webinar on “Technical Market Access Challenges in India - In Times of the Corona Pandemic” on 2nd June 2020. Around 60 experts and representatives of German companies operating in India attended the webinar. COVID-19 confronts businesses with unprecedented challenges. Questions of business continuity, transparency and reliability of supply chains as well as product quality and safety have become the focus of attention. Also, beyond COVID-19, ensuring internationally harmonised standards and coherent regulatory practices are critical to keeping consumers safe and facilitating trade. Dr. Jörg Polster, Head of the Economic Department of the German Embassy, reported that the number of technical barriers to trade with India has increased significantly in recent years. Providing support for German companies in addressing barriers is therefore of growing relevance.

His colleague Nathalie Gminder introduced the ‘fast track’ mechanism, which was established between both governments in 2015 to enhance ease of doing business for companies and investors. Gerhild Roth from the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWi) underlined the importance of securing a free, transparent and rules-based international trade system. The bilateral cooperation within the framework on the Indo-German Working Group on Quality Infrastructure is becoming even more relevant and timely amid the COVID-19 pandemic and its expected effects on global trade, she said. Bernhard Steinrücke, Director General of IGCC, shared insights from a recent white paper on the impact of the COVID-19 lockdown on German companies in Maharashtra, India. Shortage of migrant labourers and supply chain disruptions are major challenges, he said. He emphasised that in the current situation key challenges include financial, contract and commercial law, as well as labour and quality aspects.

GPQI-India introduced the project and its relevance in the current situation. A live poll during the webinar showed that many businesses and sectors face technical barriers to trade such as lack of clarity on new technical regulations, lack of harmonisation with international standards or certificates which are not recognised in India. Almost two-thirds of the participants expect such barriers to increase over the next three years.

The Indo-German Working Group on Quality Infrastructure provides an opportunity for the industry to get involved, find solutions for technical and regulatory challenges, contribute to expert exchanges and collaborate on topics such as standardisation, technical regulation, and market surveillance across different sectors. During the webinar, participants discussed issues such as the need to defer implementation of upcoming technical regulations such as automotive safety glass. Moreover, participants expressed interest in cooperating with the certification for information security and making online

Cooperation Indo-German Economy 3 | 2020

access to Indian Standards easier. The discussion continued after the webinar with participants informing GPQI through email about further concerns and questions, for instance, in the electrical equipment and medical sectors. In case you are a German company and are operating in India or planning to do so, and are facing technical market access barriers, please contact us at [email protected]. The German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWi) has set up the Global Project Quality Infrastructure (GPQI) to engage in technical and political dialogues with Brazil, China, India, Indonesia, and Mexico to reduce technical barriers to trade, enhance product safety, and strengthen consumer protection. As part of GPQI,

GIZ – the German Agency for International Cooperation – has been commissioned by BMWi to support the implementation of the

project in India within the framework of the Indo-German Working Group on Quality Infrastructure.

From our Partners' Desk

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© FreightBro

Hamburg-India Logistics event hosted by FreightBro at CIBA, Mumbai

Hamburg at a Glance: Industries, Networks and Opportunities

Fermenta Biotech, and technology startups like Neewee, Foviatech, Solverminds Solutions & Technologies are all having an office in Hamburg.

In Hamburg, a whole range of actors from networks and institutions maintain the economic dialogue with India such as the Hamburg Chamber of Commerce, Hamburg Invest and the Hamburg Ministry of Economics, Transport and Innovation.

What can we do for you?We give individual consultancy, support business seeking to relocate to the economic region of Hamburg with comprehensive services that are free of charge. Learn about the investment opportunities; discover what makes Hamburg a place for you to expand your business. Get in touch with us today!

Lee Lee Ong Project Director, International Investments, Hamburg [email protected]

Lea Miram, Hamburg Business Manager, Hamburg Representation [email protected]

Hamburg is the second-largest city in Germany after the capital Berlin, a major seaport in Europe, the seat of The International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea, home to Nivea and Montblanc.

Why Hamburg?

- Best connected gateway to Europe - Strategic location for international companies to scale and growth - A thriving innovation hub with strong industries and startups.

New Technologies OpportunitiesHamburg is ahead of the game when it comes to leveraging new technological opportunities. The R&I parks offer commercial spaces for innovative companies, research facilities and new entrepreneurs in the areas of life sciences, laser technology, aviation and green technologies. DESY is one of the world’s leading accelerator centres which has collaborated with India in photon science

since 2009. Currently, Airbus is the biggest employer for Indians in Hamburg.

Digital Transformation is in full swing and Germany’s technology sector has huge relevance in the era of digitalisation. Hamburg offers the best market potential and preconditions for a digitalized economy with strong industrial structures. Flourishing with economic clusters, accelerators, innovation hubs, along with strong growth in Co-working spaces as well as public and private initiatives, the city ensures a vibrant startup ecosystem.

Hamburg and the North German cities are adopting a joint strategy to pioneer the hydrogen sector. Wind across the coastal region would generate environment-friendly electricity and hydrogen would be stored underground and exported through seaports.

Networks and Communities related to IndiaCurrently, there are more than 50 Indian companies which have setup their base in Hamburg. The Indian steel magnate Laxmi Mittal acquired the Hamburg steelworks, along with the well-known Tata Consultancy Services and numerous leading companies like Gujarat Fluorochemicals (part of the INOX Group), L&T Technologies Services,

The city hall of Hamburg

© Darius Chua

Fairs

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IFA 2020 gets the go-ahead as a Real-Life Event in Berlin

IFA Berlin - the most important event for the consumer electronics and home appliances industry - has been given the go-ahead to take place in 2020 as a real-life event in Berlin, based on a special concept that puts health and safety first. Taking place over just three days – from 3rd to 5th September – this year’s IFA 2020 Special Edition falls well within the restrictions imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic. The invite-only event will put strict limits on the number of attendees and focus on IFA’s four global core functions, which are:

1. An innovation showcase for brands;2. A platform for cutting-edge technologies;3. A sourcing event for OEMs and ODMs; and4. A marketplace where retailers and brands

can come together.

IFA 2020 will be the first opportunity for the consumer electronics and home appliances industries to present new products and services directly to media and – by extension – to consumers and trade. The event also comes at a crucial moment for brands, manufacturers and retailers around the world, just ahead of the year’s most important shopping season stretching from Black Friday and Singles Day to Cyber Monday, Christmas and beyond.

Jens Heithecker, the Executive Director of IFA Berlin, said: “After all the event cancellations during the past months, our industry urgently needs a platform where it can showcase its innovation so that it can recover and rebound. The recovery of our industry starts here at IFA Berlin.” While virtual events were useful, they were “missing the immediacy, hands-on experience and human connections that make events like IFA Berlin so incredibly useful”, Heithecker said.

The concept for IFA 2020 was developed in close collaboration with public health authorities in Germany to ensure the health and safety of all participants. The organizers will make sure that social distancing, careful crowd control and other effective public hygiene measures are all in place. As a result, IFA 2020 will not be open to the public but run as an invitation-only event.

Four Events, One IFAThis year’s IFA will effectively be run as four stand-alone events, with not more than 1,000 attendees for each event per day. While the organizers hope that the overall public health situation will improve between now and September, they have decided to err on the side of caution and meet the strictest safety standards possible.

The four IFA 2020 events are:

IFA Global Press Conference IFA has moved its Global Press Conference, which usually takes place in April, to

September and turned it into this year’s Global Showcase for Innovation and Technology.

The Global Press Conference will invite around 800 journalists covering 50+ countries to Berlin, so brands and manufacturers will be able to show journalists their latest products and devices. All keynotes and company press conferences will take place on just two or three keynote stages curated by IFA. This keeps the numbers down for the on-site production staff and ensures that the highest hygiene standards are observed both on stage and in the seating area for media. In addition to company press conferences, industry partners will have the chance to create a smart company and brand presentations for interviews and further talks with media representatives. For journalists, this will be the most efficient way this year yet to cover the technology stories their audiences are interested in; it’s their first opportunity after the beginning of the pandemic to see all of this year’s innovation and new products all in one place, and they can organize face-to-face interviews with the spokespeople for brands.

The opening keynote for this year’s IFA will be delivered by Cristiano Amon, the President of Qualcomm, a company that is the undisputed global leader in mobile connectivity.

Qualcomm’s president said he is looking forward to giving the keynote and addressing the importance of connectivity during these unprecedented times. Mr. Amon will speak about the company’s latest developments

Sennheiser stand at the IFA Next segment Smart home appliances on display at IFA 2019

Fairs Indo-German Economy 3 | 2020

in 5G, AI and other key technologies that will drive the future of the Internet and deliver the devices and capabilities the world needs.

IFA NEXT meets IFA SHIFT MobilityFor this year only, IFA will combine its two innovation platforms – IFA Next and SHIFT Mobility – for an exclusive live event for the international tech community. The event will bring together technology start-ups and companies in the connected mobility sector, to help them get the much-needed lifeblood of publicity and industry connections. For innovators, disruptors, tech journalists and digital influencers interested in the cutting edge of technology, this will be the year’s most important event to attend.

IFA Global MarketsDuring the past three years, IFA Global Markets has grown to become Europe’s largest sourcing show for OEMs and ODMs. Now it will be this year’s first dedicated sourcing show in the world. The message from IFA’s industry partners has been clear: the industry needs a sourcing show to repair and restructure

its supply chains hit by the disruption of the COVID-19 pandemic.

IFA Business, Retail & Meeting LoungesEvery year, IFA Berlin is the most important marketplace for consumer electronics and home appliances. In 2019, for example, brands and retailers struck deals worth more than 4.7 billion euro during the event in Berlin.

While the pandemic will make it impossible to replicate this level of deal-making and networking, IFA Berlin will curate the IFA Business, Retail & Meeting Lounges to give brands and manufacturers the much-needed opportunity to meet retailers in a safe and efficient manner ahead of the year’s all-important shopping season.

Virtual IFA ExperienceThe organizers know that interest in attending IFA 2020 will far outstrip the available places, while some people may still be subject to travel restrictions. That’s why IFA will offer everybody virtual opportunities to be part of the IFA Berlin experience.

Hans-Joachim Kamp, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of gfu Consumer & Home Electronics GmbH, the organizer of IFA, said: “IFA Berlin is the most important event for the consumer electronics and home appliances industry. These past few weeks, we have worked very closely with the IFA team to develop a concept that gives all our industry partners the platform they need to talk about their innovations.”

Dr. Christian Göke, CEO of Messe Berlin, commented: “Our IFA team really has pulled out the stops for this one. I’m incredibly proud of how they have tackled this challenge and come up with a solution for IFA 2020.”

IFA Berlin will be open to invited participants from 3rd to 5th September 2020. In addition, IFA is in preparation to set up a Digital Hub for IFA 2020 which will give everybody the opportunity to join IFA 2020 remotely.

For more information on visiting the fair, please contact Ms. Tanu Ailawadi ([email protected])

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InnoTrans to take place from 27th to 30th April 2021In order to contain the spread of SARS-CoV-2, the Senate of Berlin imposed a ban on 21st April 2020 on staging large events, in particular trade fairs with an attendance of more than 5,000, until 24th October 2020. As a result, it will not be possible for Messe Berlin to hold InnoTrans as originally planned from 22nd to 25th September 2020. After consulting with the co-founding associations of InnoTrans and the leading market players Messe Berlin has decided to postpone InnoTrans 2020.

“The health and safety of exhibitors, trade visitors and all the employees at the trade fair have the utmost priority. For this reason, InnoTrans will take place from 27 to 30 April 2021. We would like to take this opportunity to thank our exhibitors at InnoTrans for their cooperation and loyalty”, said Kerstin Schulz, Director of InnoTrans.

InnoTrans is the world’s leading trade fair for transport technology and takes place every two years in Berlin. At the last event, 3,062 exhibitors from 61 countries presented the

global rail industry’s innovations to 153,421 trade visitors who came from 149 countries. The five segments at InnoTrans are Railway Technology, Railway Infrastructure, Public Transport, Interiors and Tunnel Construction. InnoTrans is organised by Messe Berlin and represented in India by the Indo-German Chamber of Commerce.

The decision to move InnoTrans from September 2020 to April 2021 has received widespread support from the mobility sector. Following its postponement until April 2021 InnoTrans has met with positive feedback all

round. “We are delighted that with this very complex and complicated measure we are able to offer an adequate alternative to the majority of exhibitors”, said Matthias Steckmann, Senior Vice President, Messe Berlin.

Rescheduling InnoTrans to just over six months after the original September 2020 dates makes the situation manageable and affords sufficient planning certainty to exhibitors and trade visitors. The next InnoTrans will take place 18 months later in September 2022 as planned. “All in all we are delighted that the majority of exhibitors welcome the move to April 2021 and that they can make use of this traditional marketing platform for a restart after the coronavirus. It was clear from the outset that due to the coronavirus crisis and its impact some companies within the industry would be unable to take part in April 2021. That is a great pity for those concerned and we are offering support wherever we can. That said, we are all the more delighted that current bookings have reached InnoTrans 2018 levels. It shows the industry

(Second from Right) Ashwani Lohani, Former Chairman of the Railway Board, Indian Railways, Government of India speaking at the Rail Leaders’ Summit along with other global leaders from the rail and transport industry during InnoTrans 2018

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is united and working at full speed to be at InnoTrans next April. The overall excess demand from earlier this year has been reduced, however, we will still be occupying the entire Berlin Exhibition Grounds. We are particularly looking forward to InnoTrans being at hub27 for the first time”, said Ms. Schulz.

Associations see the InnoTrans move as a chance to restart businessThe associations supporting InnoTrans agree on the event’s postponement and are optimistic about the future: “The decision to postpone InnoTrans hurt, but was absolutely correct and sent two clear messages. Firstly, protecting public health has top priority. Secondly, this leading international trade fair offers a chance to restart the business. Together with global partners, our task remains to ensure clean mobility in the future – that will be our focus at InnoTrans 2021”, said Dr. Ben Möbius, General Manager of the German Railway Industry Association (VDB).

Members of the Electro-Industry Association (ZVEI) voiced equally positive views: “Postponing this year’s InnoTrans was not an easy decision. The trade fair is extremely important for showcasing new technologies and developments. Nevertheless, the decision by Messe Berlin, the ZVEI and other associations were correct. The main concern of every good trade fair must be for the people there and their health and well-being. Moving the event to 27 to 30 April 2021 was the right decision and ensures planning certainty for the companies of the ZVEI. As the leading international trade fair for transport technology InnoTrans has been a big success for many years and will continue along that path, regardless of the coronavirus pandemic. Of that I am certain”, said Olaf Zinne, Head of the ZVEI Smart Mobility platform.

Dr. Heike van Hoorn, Managing Director of the German Transport Forum (DVF), also emphasised the necessity of postponing the event and the fact that exhibitors had gained planning certainty: “Postponing is not the same as cancelling. We welcome the fact that Messe Berlin has moved InnoTrans, the international trade fair for transport technology, to different dates. Instead of cancelling this important event for the rail, bus and public transport sector due to coronavirus restrictions, Messe Berlin has announced a new time frame, from 27 to 30 April 2021. That gives

exhibitors a long-term planning window. The DVF is already looking forward to these dates and will be represented with Dialogue Forums in April at the event. Prior to that, on 23 and 24 September 2020, we will also be holding two virtual Dialogue events with our partner Messe Berlin and be taking our opportunities in September in anticipation of 2022.”

Phillipe Citroën, President of the Association of the European Rail Industry (UNIFE), also welcomed the move: “It is unfortunate that InnoTrans 2020 was postponed but it was a public safety necessity as the Covid-19 crisis continues. UNIFE looks forward to reconvening with our talented colleagues from across the rail sector in Berlin next April to discuss the EU Year of Rail, support the EU Green Deal and share the findings of the newest World Rail Market Study. Our members will also be in attendance to showcase their latest innovations that will form the backbone of the next generation of sustainable mobility.”

Industry supports the InnoTrans move to next April“The coronavirus crisis has resulted in companies around the world facing huge challenges. The situation is evolving constantly and requires making decisions that are not always easy but are urgently needed. Our overriding priority is the safety of all employees, customers and partners. That can only be achieved by slowing the spread of the virus and weakening the infection rate. That is why

postponing InnoTrans was the only decision possible”, said Voith Turbo, a Group Division of Voith, the global technology group.

This was echoed by Dr. Martell Beck, Head of Sales Marketing Digitization of Berliner Verkehrsbetriebe (BVG): “It is unfortunate that InnoTrans had to be postponed, but the decision was understandable. As pioneers in the trialling of supplementary mobility solutions, exchanging views with other members of our sector and policymakers is very important for us. We look forward to April 2021 and a new impetus from the Mobility+ sector.”

Knorr-Bremse sees the move to spring 2021 as underlining InnoTrans’ position as the leading international platform for transport technology. According to Mark Cleobury, Management Executive at Knorr-Bremse Systeme für Schienenfahrzeuge GmbH, “against the backdrop of the Covid-19 crisis InnoTrans, the world’s leading transport technology trade fair which attracts visitors and encourages travel from all over the world, runs the risk of spreading infections. We support moving the trade fair to 2021 in order to maintain its role as a global forum and ensure participation in the event.”

To visit or book your stand please contact Ms. Tanu Ailawadi ([email protected])or Ms. Norma Remedios ([email protected])

Business delegate from India getting an insight into the latest rail technology

Fairs

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Spielwarenmesse eG Restructures Business Operations in India

• Indo-German Chamber of Commerce assumes role of representative

• Kids India 2020 in Mumbai cancelled

Spielwarenmesse eG has been operating in the Indian market for the past eight years. During this period, the exhibition organiser and marketing services provider has successfully launched Kids India which has established itself as India’s biggest B2B toy fair. It also enables international exhibitors to participate through the World of Toys Programme. In response to the situation surrounding the Covid-19 pandemic, the organisers have introduced new strategic measures. On the 1st of June, the Indo-German Chamber of Commerce (AHK Indien) became the company’s representative in India. Spielwarenmesse eG’s global network already comprises 58 international representatives serving 104 countries. In the future, AHK Indien will provide companies, trade visitors and media representatives with all the information

The unpredictable situation linked to the coronavirus in India is making it impossible to stage the autumn fair in a safe and efficient environment. Spielwarenmesse eG is placing its trust in AHK Indien’s highly experienced team. Having worked with AHK Indien during its first steps onto the Indian market, Spielwarenmesse eG is confident that this partnership will be as successful as before. Commenting on the change, Ernst Kick, CEO Spielwarenmesse eG, stated: “We’re delighted to be able to rely on the professional support of AHK Indien. We still see a bright future and great potential in this country, which is synonymous with advanced urbanisation and a rapidly growing, well-educated middle class.” Accounting for more than 20 percent of the world population of under 25-year-olds, India’s growth rates for consumer products, especially for toys and children’s products, have soared in recent years.

To book your stand for Spielwarenmesse® 2021, contact the IGCC team: [email protected] or [email protected] Visitors entering Spielwarenmesse 2020

New Exhibitor Centre - a special display area for first time exhibitors

they need to participate in a trade fair – from exhibitor and visitor registration to organising travel. The next major project on the agenda is the Spielwarenmesse. Taking place in Nuremberg from 27th to 31st January 2021, the world’s leading industry event is already in the planning phase and is making allowances for the current situation. The booking deadline for exhibitors, for example, has been extended to 31st July 2020. By contrast, Kids India will not be opening its doors in Mumbai this year.

Fairs

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WindEnergy Hamburg to take place from 1st to 4th December 2020

WindEnergy Hamburg, the global on & offshore wind event, has been postponed to 1st to 4th December 2020 in response to the coronavirus pandemic and its global impact on major events and international travelling.

Since it is currently difficult to predict the future development of Covid-19 and its consequences for large-scale international events planned for September 2020, the WindEnergy Hamburg has been postponed to the end of the year. This gives the exhibitors and visitors a more reliable basis for their planning.

Every two years one of the most fascinating and promising industries meets for the leading global networking event for wind energy: At WindEnergy Hamburg, situated right in the heart of the vibrant northern German port city, 1,400 exhibitors will present their innovations and solutions. The event has a highly international profile, with half of the exhibitors hailing from abroad.

Leading suppliers of system components for all stages of the onshore and offshore wind energy value chain will provide a comprehensive overview of the market. Around 600 service providers offering everything from planning and project design to installation, operation and maintenance, and through to marketing, certification and financing will complete the picture.

The Who’s Who of the wind industry will be present, including representatives of trade associations, the science community and politics. The Expo will be accompanied by WindEurope’s conference programme featuring top-ranking experts who will address the industry’s current key topics. The comprehensive conference programme is managed by WindEurope, the co-organiser of WindEnergy Hamburg. GWEC, Global Partner of the event, will present Global Business Insights.

In a recent digital press conference, industry experts from all around Europe assessed the wind industry’s current situation, the effects of the pandemic and the importance of the EU

Green Deal, giving an outlook on the sector’s future. Speakers from all around Europe participated in the conference.

The decision to reschedule WindEnergy Hamburg for December was made in May. The team at Hamburg Messe is working vigorously on the development of safety concepts to ensure a successful trade fair for exhibitors and visitors alike. In addition, the exhibition will feature both digital and hybrid presentation formats, with broad backing across the industry. “We got a lot of positive feedback from our exhibitors who support our plans for the new December dates. It gives them a more solid basis for organising and planning. So the vast majority of exhibitors and all of the big manufacturers will stay on board and the number of cancellations has actually been quite low. We are of course very happy about that and confident that we have made the right decision,” said Bernd Aufderheide, President and CEO, Hamburg Messe und Congress GmbH.

All speakers gave a positive view of the sector’s prospects while calling upon governments to take specific action. The digital discussion panel included top-level representatives from the business world, politics and industry organisations providing insights into all areas of the sector.

Global upswing despite coronavirus While the pandemic and the resulting lockdown measures have disrupted supply chains, hampered investments and brought wind power projects to a temporary halt, energy production from existing wind farms has been stable over the past months. “Covid-19 is undoubtedly proving a challenge for the wind industry affecting the global supply chain, manufacturing and project execution. But the crisis is also showing the resilience of the sector, which has continued to provide affordable and clean energy throughout,”

Entrance to the fair

said Dr. Markus M. Tacke, Chairman of VDMA Power Systems and CEO of Siemens Gamesa.

Giles Dickson, CEO of WindEurope and co-organiser of WindEnergy Hamburg, pointed out that wind energy has become the most economical energy source in many parts of the world: “New models for offshore wind turbines have reached scales no one had expected some years ago, with single turbines of 12 MW and more. Floating wind is about to get ready for commercial market entry.”

Thorsten Herdan, Director General Energy, Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy, added: “In Germany, the electricity due to COVID-19 has pushed the share of renewables and wind energy in the electricity sector to new heights. So far, more than 55% of total electricity production in 2020 is renewable – wind alone makes up for a third of electricity production in 2020. And we have observed no problems with grid stability. This shows that our system is capable to adopt very high shares of renewables.”

Fairs

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Renewable energy is part of the EU recovery plan The speakers agreed that the wind industry plays a crucial role in fighting the economic crisis caused by the coronavirus pandemic. “COVID-19 is a huge hit to the EU economy. Last week the EU Recovery Plan singled out wind and other renewables as ‘policy fundamentals of the recovery’. And wind will deliver. It is cheap, reliable and already 15% of Europe’s electricity. The EU wants it to be 50% by 2050. That means huge investments. It means investing now. It means the jobs and growth that are needed now. The EU is unleashing all its firepower to drive a green recovery - €1.85 trillion. WindEnergy Hamburg in December will show how wind can make this count,” said Giles Dickson.

Dr. Markus M. Tacke voiced an explicit call to action: “Now is the time to build on this platform by investing in a true Green Recovery that can stimulate economic growth and job creation.” And Thorsten Herdan added: “In Germany, the electricity due to COVID-19 has pushed the share of renewables and wind energy in the electricity sector to new heights. So far, more than 55% of total electricity production in 2020 is renewable – wind alone makes up for a third of electricity production in 2020. And we have observed no problems with grid stability. This shows that our system is capable to adopt very high shares of renewables”.

Positive outlook Ben Backwell, CEO of the Global Wind Energy

Council (GWEC), said that wind energy has demonstrated its dependability in the current crisis and deserves to be trusted: “The wind industry has proven itself to be resilient during the COVID-19 crisis, providing reliable and cost-competitive energy to power our society as the world is in lockdown.” China holds great promise, as well: “GWEC forecasted 2020 to be a record year for wind installations, and while the current crisis will impact these projections, we still see countries like China, the biggest wind market in the world, to surpass even our pre-COVID forecasts.” Backwell called on politics to provide support: “Governments across the world must leverage the resilience and huge potential of the wind power sector to generate investment, create jobs and renew critical infrastructure like grids and ports to power a green recovery.”

When WindEnergy Hamburg launches in December, it will be the industry’s first gathering after the beginning of the COVID-19 crisis. The speakers were unanimous in stressing the enormous opportunities this global trade event opens up: “WindEnergy Hamburg is the worldwide platform for wind energy – both on-and-offshore. On the way back to the new normal, we need to refocus on solutions and products needed for a sustainable economy, on a global scale. WindEnergy Hamburg provides the required stage and is therefore essential for our industry,” said Dr. Markus M. Tacke. Bernd Aufderheide emphasised: “WindEnergy Hamburg will be a catalyst for the energy transition. In December we will provide the wind industry with a platform to network, share key information, and work on new ideas.”

Senvion stand at Wind Energy Hamburg 2018

Please contact the IGCC team for more information or visit www.windenergyhamburg.com/en/

For stand booking: Ms. Tanu Ailawadi Hamburg Messe – India Representative Indo-German Chamber of Commerce New Delhi Tel: +91 11 47168822 Email: [email protected]

For visitor / delegation information: Ms. Lea Miram Hamburg Business Manager Hamburg Representation Mumbai Mumbai Tel: +91 22 66652150 Email: [email protected]

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Chambers’ News Indo-German Economy 3 | 2020

The Role of Digitalisation in India’s Battle Against the COVID-19

India officially entered lockdown mode on 25th March 2020, to limit the spread of the coronavirus through the country. In the weeks that followed, the Indian Government imposed stringent restrictions on business operations, the movement of people and goods, as well as introduced social distancing practices. India imposed one of the strictest lockdowns in the world. The move garnered praise from the World Health Organisation, terming the decision as “timely and tough actions to stop COVID-19”. Prime Minister Narendra Modi highlighted saving lives as the primary objective of the nationwide lockdown decision. In the latter stage, as the lockdown was extended, the focus toward restarting the economy was emphasised. With over 1.3 billion population and one of the densest population in the World, India faces a genuine risk of large community spreading if the virus goes unchecked. From an economic perspective, India has one of the largest numbers of start-ups and MSMEs in the world. A lengthy period of lockdown will greatly affect people, businesses, and the economy. The battle to limit the spread of COVID-19 in India is a delicate balancing act. To limit the spread of coronavirus and minimise its impact, the Govt. of India implemented several measures nationwide, which is no small task considering India has a wide and diverse demographic in terms of social, economic, and geographical locations. To help overcome these difficulties, India leveraged its competencies in Information Technology (IT) and software to create solutions that better leverage digitalisation to help their efforts. One way India has used digitalisation effectively during this crisis is to track the number of active coronavirus cases in India. The Ministry of Health & Family Welfare (MoHFW) provides daily updates on the number of positive cases, deaths, and patients recovered on their website along with state-wise data. This data-driven technology allows the government to map out the current spread of coronavirus as well

as identifying hotspots throughout India. This information is also used by the Indian government to formulate future measures. Another example of India leveraging digitalisation in the fight against coronavirus is the Aarogya Setu app. The Aarogya Setu is an open-source application launched on 2nd April 2020 by the Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology (MeitY). It is a secure contact tracing application based on Bluetooth technology used to map potential hotspots and dissipate important information about COVID-19. The application traces people who have contracted the virus so that testing and other medical support can be given to them. At the same time, the application provides warning systems to healthy people when they are in close proximity with contracted patients or when they are venturing out into hotspot areas. As of 26th March, the application has been used by 9,00,000 people and helped identified 3,500 hotspots throughout India. Closure of offices and other business operations have forced many organisations to embrace remote working, with digitalisation playing a crucial role to facilitate it.

The Indo-German Chamber of Commerce organised a webinar on 12th May on “Remote Working: A New Normal”, in cooperation with SAP. During the discussion, Sindu Gangadharan, Senior Vice President and Managing Director - SAP Labs India highlighted how technologies have made

work from home possible and will probably lead to a paradigm shift on how organisations structure their work in the future. Digitisation technologies have also allowed essential business operations to continue despite the lockdown, thus ensuring the continued supply of essential goods and services.

As India slowly emerged from its lockdown, industry experts also believed digitalisation will play a key role to support the restarting of business operations. In the webinar “The Experience Exchange: Restarting & the Journey to Recovery – Part 1”, organised by IGCC in collaboration with the Consulate General of the Federal Republic of Germany, industry leaders from Jungheinrich Lift Truck India Private Limited, Hydac (India) Private Limited and Schmersal India Private Limited discussed how digitalization can help restart industries in post lockdown. Technologies such as IoT-based sensors can provide a reading of a company’s supply, maintaining social distancing norms which will safeguard the safety of workers. The Indo-German of Chamber of Commerce is actively tracking the development of the COVID-19 in India using digitalisation platforms to support our members during this crisis.

These platforms have allowed us to provide important and up-to-date information to our members. In addition, we continuously screen relevant topics and organise webinars for our member companies to ensure support for their business during this crisis.

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Delegation Visit from Germany: Renewable Energy Technologies (Solar & Bioenergy)

The Indo-German Chamber of Commerce (IGCC) organised a business delegation visit to India, from May 25th - 29th 2020, with the focus on Renewable Energy Technologies (Solar PV, CSP and Bioenergy) for industrial applications.

This was supported by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs & Energy (BMWi) under the Energy Solutions – made in Germany Initiative and by Eclareon GmbH. The delegation was conducted virtually due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

The four participating companies from Germany were: Enerbar GmbH – offering rooftop solar PV plants, energy storage solutions, SunOyster Systems GmbH – providing solar power generation, heating and cooling in an integrated system, Bioenergy Concept GmbH - offering conceptualisation, planning and development of biogas projects and Binder GmbH – offering products for biogas measurement & analysis, monitoring systems.

During the 4-day visit, IGCC organised meetings with potential business partners from various RE sector companies. The German companies from both the sectors of solar and bioenergy received an enthusiastic response.

During the Webinar held on 26th May 2020, the participating German companies had an opportunity to showcase their technologies. Additionally, experts from Germany and India participated in the event to provide a comprehensive overview of the German and Indian markets in the solar and bioenergy sector.

This included presentations by Bridge to India, German Solar Association (BSW), International Biogas and Bioenergy Competence Center (IBBK), Germany, Indian Biogas Association (IBA) and United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO).

The webinars proved to be quite successful with almost 400 registrations and over 250

participants logged in actively. Everyone was beyond impressed with the expert speakers from India and Germany. The content as well as the presentations were relevant, informative and educational which kept the attendees constantly engaged and asking the right questions.

Conducting the first virtual delegation has been an exciting and learning experience for the IGCC and the Indian and German companies were very appreciative of the quality of the event, despite the challenging situation.

As a trusted partner to both the government and industry/business community, IGCC will be offering more such opportunities in the future.

Profiles of the companies and experts can be viewed on our website: bit.ly/2VShzVL

For additional queries, please contact Dipti Kanitkar on [email protected]

Mallikarjuna Joins as Regional Director in ChennaiThe Indo-German Chamber (IGCC) welcomes Mallikarjuna, who joined as the Regional Director of IGCC, Chennai from May 2020 onwards.

Mallikarjuna has over 23 years of professional management experience in engineering, Product Design, Product Management, Strategic Business Development, Branding, Corporate Communication and Marketing in leading global German and Swiss-based companies. He was working as the Head of Marketing & Business development from 2010 to 2020 at Bühler India which is a 100% subsidiary of Bühler AG, Switzerland. From 1998 to 2010, he headed the Marketing Department at Rittal India, which is a 100%

in the Design department for manufacturing of Pistons used in automobiles.

Mallikarjuna is an Engineering graduate in Industrial Production from BVB College of Engineering & Technology, Hubli, Karnataka and has done a full-time Post-Graduate Diploma in Business Administration in Marketing and Finance from ICFAI Business School, Bangalore.

He has also done Professional Marketing and Product Management course from the University of St. Gallen, Switzerland. IGCC wishes Mr. Mallikarjuna a fulfilling and successful tenure in his new role as the Regional Director of our Chennai office.

MallikarjunaRegional Director, IGCC, Chennai

subsidiary of Rittal GmbH & Co. KG, Germany. Prior to Rittal, he was working at Escorts Mahle

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If you are interested in the further details, such as viewing, listening or reading the reports of the webinars and to know about future webinars, please check out our Webinar page. Contact information with the concerned people will be found on the individual webinars who you can contact for your queries.

indien.ahk.de/services/webinars

Date: 29th April, 6th May & 15th MayLink: bit.ly/2KHXTPi, bit.ly/35BfYbd & bit.ly/3fQXU1N IGCC & the German Consulate in Mumbai along with the officials from the Government of Maharashtra had an open dialogue to discuss the current crisis and hardships faced by the German Industry, as well as the way forward. These webinars were spread out on different days in three parts to comprehensively cover the best way forward.

German Industries in Dialogue with Ministry of Industries & MIDC Government of Maharashtra, Part 1, 2 & 3

IGCC Conducts Series of Webinars In Support Of Its MembersIn order to support our members, Indo-German Chamber of Commerce (IGCC) has been conducting a series of Webinars with prominent experts and industry stalwarts to answer pressing questions and share their sound strategies going ahead, ever since the announcement of COVID-19 lockdown in March 2020.

Date: 13th AprilLink: bit.ly/2JTEeeT Liquidity management for the post lockdown economy. IGCC along with ASA & Associates LLP (ASA) organized a webinar where the panellists delved into the major issues and tools that businesses need to focus on and control, in order to successfully navigate the challenges ahead.

Managing Liquidity in Times of COVID-19

Date: 5th MayLink: bit.ly/2KPt7Ux As businesses around the world focus on health and safety and move to remote work, we want to do our part to support our member companies and clients in safeguarding the present and preparing for the future business. Now is the time for companies to prepare well in order to fix any disruptions of their business and to be fully functional again when the lockdown is over. The IGCC in association with Rödl & Partner conducted this webinar.

How to bounce back post COVID-19: Legal, Tax and Financial aspects

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Date: 28th AprilLink: bit.ly/2Y5oXjo As the lockdown was extended until May 3, 2020, businesses need to be prepared for far-reaching implications on the economy, pushing the employers to find innovative ways to restructure their employee strength.

Almost all employers have asked their employees to work from home to ensure continuity of business. Some employers through various government advisories have been asked to maintain payroll despite not generating revenues during the lockdown. This has given rise to a lot of issues faced by employers vis-à-vis employees during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Employment Law in India – How to manage your HR Strategies during COVID-19

Date: 24th AprilLink: bit.ly/3eTdDNg

With the extended lockdown, public lives and work have surely slowed down and for some come to a standstill! As businesses around the world focus on health and safety and move to remote work, we want to do our part to support our members in their supply chain needs and ensure that they can focus on their core business. Now is the time for companies to prepare well in order to fix any disruptions in the supply chains and to be fully functional again when the lockdown is over.

IGCC along with its Knowledge Partners Rhenus Logistics India Pvt. Limited & EAC-Consulting conducted this webinar.

Handling Supply Chain and Logistics efficiently during COVID-19 times

Date: 28th AprilLink: bit.ly/34W1pyR IGCC SustainMarkets, in cooperation with Samhita-Collective Good Foundation, organised a webinar on the situation of industries and its workers in India during the current pandemic scenario.

The webinar introduced the “Indian Workers’ Alliance”, an initiative established by Samhita-Collective Good Foundation in coordination with the Government of India and business experts. The initiative seeks to actively address the needs of blue-collar workers by providing immediate financial aid and unlocking beneficial government schemes and insurance products.

Supporting Your Employees in Times of Crisis: The Situation of Industries and its Workers in India during COVID-19

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Date: 8th AprilLink: bit.ly/2VaWvKn The Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), the Federation of German Industries (BDI) & IGCC held a webinar on of COVID-19 impact on the German and Indian economies.

The COVID-19 pandemic has brought about the greatest economic crisis of the 21st century. Industries and businesses of both countries have been brought to a standstill to combat the spread of the coronavirus.

The CII webinar covered the issues faced by both economies, the support provided by the respective governments and the way forward to combat the fallout of the COVID-19 crisis by further strengthening Indo-German economic ties.

COVID-19 Impact on the German and Indian economies and the Way Forward

Date: 20th MarchLink: bit.ly/2QnmnAq

In this webinar, organized by Indo German Chamber of Commerce (IGCC) & Khaitan & Co, in collaboration with Germany Trade and Invest (GTAI), and the Consulate General of the Federal Republic of Germany, the panellists highlighted the impact of COVID-19 on the business environment in India. They discussed the impact of the pandemic on Indo-German business relations, issues related to travel and visa restrictions, and employment considerations like workplace policies, containment measures, & forced lockdowns.

Business Continuity in Times of COVID-19 (Coronavirus) – An Indian Perspective

Date: 10th AprilLink: bit.ly/2XiXOJl In light of the current situation, IGCC along with its Knowledge Partner Nexdigm (SKP) held a webinar on the Impact of COVID-19 on Cyber Security and Cyber Resilience where technology risk advisory specialists from Nexdigm addressed the key concerns around WFH and recommended expert hygiene practices to follow. Krish Bhat, Chief Information Security Officer, Nexdigm shared his insights on the following critical aspects:- Managing networks and VPN- Defining firewall rules- Avoiding data pilferage- Collaborative tools and technologies

Impact of COVID-19 on Cyber Security and Cyber Resilience

Special Feature

45


Mr. Mahesh Trikha, Managing Director

Perfecting Logistics Solutions

Aargus Global Logistics Pvt. Ltd.

We, Aargus Global Logistics Pvt Ltd., is an Award-Winning AEO & FMC certified company established at Delhi in 1995 (celebrating Silver Jubilee Year). We have 13 offices In India. We are International Freight Forwarding,

Customs Brokerage & Logistics Services providing company in India and across the world. We have a team of professionals for 5 Segments of our business who head the following segments.

1. General & DG Cargo Division2. Pharma/Clinical Samples Logistics Division3. Defence Logistics Division4. E-commerce/Courier Division5. Projects Logistics Division

We specialise in Pharma, DG Cargo & Auto Part, Time Critical and Vintage Car Rally’s Logistics. We also provide Warehousing and Door-to-Door Services in about 200 cities. We are available 24x7 and are operative in all our Branches even at these times.

We have recently launched, our Defence Logistics Division, Headed by Retd Officer from Indian Army of the rank of Colonel to take care of this Segment.

Contact Details:Aargus Global Logistics Private Limited(An AEO & ISO 9001:2015 Certified Company)Address: Room No. 20 B, First Floor, Import 2 Building, International Cargo Terminal, IGI Airport, New Delhi-110037, INDIA.Phone: +91 11 4600 6500/01Website: www.aargusglobal.com

Contact Person: Mr. Mahesh Trikha, Managing DirectorMobile/Whatsapp: +919810036509Email: [email protected]

“Well established family run business looking for Joint Venture partnership in

the field of high technology engineering.”

ABS Instruments Pvt. Ltd.

ABS Instruments Pvt. Ltd., established in 1989 is an Indian company that has been working closely with reputed European companies for over 30 years. We also support some of our European partners in other countries of Asia.

We are a family run company with the second generation presently managing the day-to-day affairs. We are engineers providing solutions to materials testing laboratories involved in cutting edge materials & metallurgy research. We also have an ISO 17025 accredited laboratory for the calibration of mechanical parameters.

Our head office is located in the Southern Indian city of Chennai, close to the international airport and a seaport as well as excellent road and rail connectivity with the rest of India.

We are presently looking for international partners who might be interested in setting up a joint venture in India in a field of high technology engineering.

The intersection of cutting edge technology and science inspires us. Enabling scientific research drives us.

Contact Details:ABS Instruments Pvt. Ltd.Address: Unit 21, Block I, SIDCO Electronics Complex Guindy Industrial Estate, Chennai – 600032Mobile: +91-9003022194E-mail: [email protected]: www.absinstruments.com

Mr. Nitesh Makwana, Managing Director

Avians Innovations Technology Pvt. Ltd.

We take immense gratification in introducing ourselves as the pioneer manufacturer & solution provider for all types of High-end Automatic Doors, Loading Bay Equipment and Physical Access Systems. Avians have a strong legacy of over 35+ years with a vision of sustained innovation, service-orientation and commitment to deliver nothing but top-notch products. Avians is an ISO:9001, ISO:14001 and OHSAS 18001 company and have been certified with CE Standard for the complete array of products. Our facility is a state-of-the-art establishment, backed by hi-end technology & quality standards with best in class tools and machinery. Avians is an industry expert, having a complete product range of Entrance Automation from High-speed doors, Sectional Overhead Doors, Dock Levellers and Shelters, Fire & Non-fire Rated Rolling Shutters, Hanger Doors, Automated Entrance Gates, Boom Barriers, Bollards, Turnstiles, Flap and Swing Barriers, which caters to

all the segments of the Industry. Avians products are designed to create a difference to your premises and assure peace of mind to users.

The company’s strong technical backbone and innovative R&D facilities ensure that each product delivers on our promise of quality, precision and innovation. The company’s extensive pan India sales and service network presence makes support always at hand.

Contact Details:Avians Innovations Technology Pvt. Ltd.Corporate Address: Gat 60-61 Dehu-Moshi Road,Chikhali, Pune 411062 ,Maharashtra, IndiaPhone: 91 20 71400555Email: [email protected] [email protected] Website: www.avians.co.in www.leaptor.com

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Special Feature

Mr. Pallav Kumar BhattacharyyaDirector

The Power in Electrical Safety

Bender India Pvt. Ltd.

Bender India Private Limited, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Bender Group, Germany, a world leader in providing complete and customized solution on Electrical Safety for online electrical condition monitoring in electrical installations.

We provide a reliable and cost-effective electrical safety solution of Bender, Germany for complete protection of people and equipment from hazards of electricity.

The various solutions are:• Electrical safety for unearthed systems in Core Industries

o Insulation monitoring deviceso Insulation fault location systems

• Electrical safety for earthed systems in Core Industries and IT & ITESo Residual / Leakage current monitorso Residual / Leakage current location systems

• Electrical safety in Hospitalso Isolation panels as per IEC & Indian NECo Switchover and monitoring moduleso Surgeon Control & Remote Indicator panels

• Measuring and monitoring relays• Testing and measurement systems for electrical

equipment

• Communication solutions for Bender systemso Standard Fieldbus/Profibus systemso Ethernet (TCP/IP) and Web Server/OPC

• Power Quality and Energy Management Devices

The above mentioned solutions are applicable to various industries namely, Power generation and distribution, Marine, Airports, Railways, Mines, Oil & Petroleum, Solar & Wind Energy, Chemical industry, IT, Hospitals, Offices and building complexes etc.

Contact Details:Bender India Pvt. Ltd. Address: 805, B-Wing, Technocity, Plot No. X-4/1 & X-4/2, MIDC TTC Industrial Area, Mahape, Navi Mumbai – 400710Phone: +91 22 27788501/8502E-mail: [email protected]: www.bender-in.com

Mr. Baba KalyaniChairman and Managing Director, Bharat Forge Ltd.

A preferred technology & engineering driven development partner

Bharat Forge Ltd. Bharat Forge Ltd. (BFL), the Pune based Indian multinational is a technology-driven global leader in metal forming; having a transcontinental presence across ten manufacturing locations – 4 in India, 3 in Germany, 1 each in Sweden, France and the USA. The company has a marquee list of global OEMs across several sectors including automotive, power, oil and gas, construction & mining, locomotive, marine, defence and aerospace.

BFL is the flagship Company of the Kalyani Group – which is a USD 3 billion conglomerate with 10,000 plus global workforce. With the largest repository of metallurgical knowledge in the region, BFL offers a full-service supply capability to its geographically dispersed customers from concept to product design, engineering, manufacturing, testing and validation.

BFL manufactures a wide range of high performance, critical & safety components for the automotive and non-automotive sectors, holding capability to supply sophisticated high-technology components to almost every leading global OEM. Its customer list includes names like Daimler, General Motors, Volkswagen, General Electric, Caterpillar, Liebherr, Boeing, Rolls Royce, and others.

Contact Details:Bharat Forge Ltd.Address: Mundhwa, Pune Cantonment, Pune - 411 036, Maharashtra, India.Tel: +91-20-67042777; Fax: +91-20-6822387Email: [email protected]: www.bharatforge.com

Mr. Rahul PillaiCEO

your perfect relocation partner

Interem Relocations

Interem is the largest packing and moving network with worldwide presence in 60 countries across 6 continents. We also are the 1st MNC in our industry to start the India operations, way back in 1997.

As a group, we successfully handle more than 250,000 moves across the world annually and 10,000 moves in India alone.

Today, Interem in India has a continuing relationship with more than 200 plus fortune 500 Companies and corporates worldwide, which includes major German brands like Volkswagen, BMW, Siemens, GTZ, etc. to name a few, besides German School, German Embassy, GIZ, Friedrich Naumann Foundation in India.

We are an ISO 9001, 14001, 18001 certified company, as well as, FAIM accredited in multiple locations, which is awarded to us after a rigorous, on-site audit by Ernst & Young, making us a highly quality-driven company.

Our infrastructure in India speaks about our authenticity in the Indian market:1. 400 plus employees2. 50 closed body container3. 500,000 plus sq. ft. of warehousing 4. Covering the whole of India with 10 own offices and

30 partner locations.

The services we offer include: Packing and Moving Services (International, Domestic, Automobiles, Pets), Office Assets Moving, Data Centre Moving, Settling-in Services, Warehousing Solutions, Fine Arts & exhibition Handling.

Contact Details:Interem RelocationsAddress: Plot No. 14, Sector – 34, Gurgaon 122 001Mobile: 9655911330E-mail: [email protected]: www.interemrelocations.com

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Mr. Bhagwan Jagwani CEO Email Id - [email protected] Mobile: +91 (0) 99675 47492

Your Trusted reliable Business Associate

Kruti Services

Kruti Services is a one-stop solution, for all your business needs. Our team of expert advisors and consultants endeavour to turn your business around in line with globally accepted best practices. We have established ourselves as professional service providers to MSMEs, Startups and Foreign Subsidiaries.

Our Service Offerings• Business Advisory and ConsultancyWe offer a streamlined package of advisory services that eases your efforts of setting up new business ventures/startups in India

» Advisory and Implementation of such advisory, Corporate Structure and Design (Entry, Investment and Exit options)

» Formation of Entity » Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) reporting under

FEMA rules

• Setup and CompliancesCompliance of several laws and acts applicable that ensure your business stays 100% compliant under Direct Tax, Indirect Tax, Central and State Business Laws within the code of business ethics

• Management Information System » Financial Data Analysis » Reporting Exceptions » MIS Reports to Management

• Other Offerings » Book Keeping and Financial Accounting » Payroll Management » Regular Statutory Compliances and Monitoring » Audit and Assurance

Focus sectors Manufacturing, Trading and Indenting Companies, IT & ITES, Architectural and Engineering services, Food Processing, Air Charter Services

Contact Details:Kruti Services (Div. of Kruti Software Consultancy Pvt. Ltd.)Address: C-225, Antop Hill, W.H. Complex, VIT College Road, Near Dosti Acres, Wadala (East), Mumbai 400 037Phone: +91 (0) 22 2413 3139 | +91 (0) 93201 41055 | +91 (0) 88794 92727E-mail: [email protected]: http://kservices.in

Mr. Rajev S KumarManaging Director

STAHL - Your manufacturer for commercial laundry systems with

German production

STAHL Laundry Machine India Private Limited

STAHL Laundry Machine India Private Limited represents STAHL Wäschereimaschinenbau GmbH, a 111-year-old family-owned company manufacturing affordable and high-quality commercial Laundry Machines like Washing Machines, Dryers, Various Ironing Machines, Disinfection Medical Barrier Washers from small 7 kg to big up to 200 Kg capacities. We have vertical integration of over 90% for all machines, meaning we are directly responsible for the quality of almost all components so we can guarantee that our machines are of the best quality and we can respond to your requests and requirements individually. We provide laundry solutions for Pharmaceutical, Manufacturing, Automotive, Hospitality, Healthcare, Shipping, Restaurants, Facility Management, Self-Service Laundries, Educational Institutes, Fire Fighting, Food Processing, Commercial laundry service industries or any industry where the user requires clean, hygienic linen and laundry at affordable costs.

At STAHL India, We provide our machines and solutions across Asia. We also provide Disinfection equipment using ozone technology. Our products and solutions are sustainable, deliver high productivity, lowest life cycle costs and are eco-friendly.

Contact Details:STAHL Laundry Machine India Private LimitedAddress: Gat No 1559/1560, Shelar Wasti, Dehu-Alandi Road Chikhali, Pune-411045, Maharashtra, IndiaPhone: +91-66355885/+91-9923002125E-mail: [email protected]: www.stahl-laundry-machines.com

Mr. Sant SanganeriaFounder Chairman & M.D.

Fragrances, Flavours & Essential Oils

Ultra International Limited

Ultra International Limited is one of the leading companies in the Fragrance, Flavours & Essential Oils industry. Ongoing investment in innovation and globally-renowned expertise had led ULTRA to develop

high-end/ environment-friendly products. Now it proudly supplies to more than 100 industries with its range of value-added products which in turn contribute to the making of thousands of end-products used daily by consumers around the world.

Through its unique sensory expertise and consumer insight, Ultra provides the customers with the taste and smell profiles that are the key to their product’s success. Our passion for perfumes and flavours, our Creativity and innovation, together with our exceptional understanding of sensory perceptions and trends, have forged our world-class reputation.

The company’s highly equipped Fragrance & Flavour R&D Laboratory with trained and experienced personnel is a source for development of new products and is approved by DSIR, Ministry of Science & Technology, Govt. of India. Our consistently superior investments in R&D substantiate our desire to understand, share

and reinvent the best of what nature has to offer in the realms of smell and taste.

Ultra International which is headquartered in India, has its global footprint in countries like Australia, France, Indonesia, Netherlands, Singapore, United Kingdom, Uruguay and USA.

Contact Details:Ultra International LimitedAddress: 64/1, Site IV, Industrial Area, Sahibabad, Ghaziabad, U.P.- 201010 INDIATel.: +91-120-4388500E-mail: [email protected]: www.ultrainternational.com

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Workers are the driving force of the economy where they make up a significant part of our society. In recognition of workers’ irreplaceable role, on 1st May 2020, the world celebrated the International Labour Day. The welfare and condition of workers are key components of many internationally accepted barometers such as standard of living, gross domestic product (GDP), and happiness index which are used to measure the socio-economic conditions of an economy. The importance of workers cannot be understated. For India, the plight of workers is of fundamental interest as the country is home to nearly 500 million workers. India imposed one of the strictest lockdowns on the backdrop of the coronavirus pandemic. The lockdown has helped to limit the spread of the virus and saved countless lives. At the same time, the lockdown has greatly impacted businesses and put incredible stress on workers in India. In a recent survey conducted by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), India’s gross domestic product (GDP) is expected to contract by 1.5% in 2020-21, while many workers have lost their income and jobs. Around 450 million workers in India belong to the informal sector, out of which 90 million are migrant workers. For these workers, the impact of the economic decline is significantly more profound.

Working Together Toward Economic Recovery

labour laws in India may contribute to the degradation of workers’ wellbeing and widen inequalities in India.

changes include a lowering of minimum wage rate, increasing the legal work hours to 12 hours, and relaxing in the hiring and firing policies. The changes will directly affect millions of workers and will determine India’s path toward economic recovery. While several trade bodies have welcomed these changes, other organisations and experts such as the International Labour Organisation (ILO) and the Indian Council for Research on International Economic Relations (ICRIER) have raised serious concerns. ILO has taken to write to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to intervene against these amendments as it will strip workers of their basic rights, lower wages and create an environment conducive to exploitative practices by employers. ILO’s and ICRIER’s pose challenges on India’s strategy toward economic recovery. Both domestic and international bodies have voiced suspension of the labour law which may deteriorate the relationship between businesses and their workers. Experts argued that there is little empirical evidence that suggests increasing work hours will improve productivity and profitability in the long-run. On the contrary, the disregard of employee’s wellbeing due to the long working hours will drive down productivity because of exhaustion and create toxic work conditions. This scenario is especially true in India considering many workers, especially those in the informal sector, continue to struggle for basic wages and safe working conditions. A large number of workers are still lacking social security, unemployment insurance, and health insurance coverage. Easing of

There is a consensus among countries, think tanks, and industry experts that businesses and workers need to work together to come out of this pandemic. This is highlighted by Simon-Thorsten Wiebusch, COO - Crop Science Division of Bayer India, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh during Indo-German Chamber of Commerce webinar on “Supporting your Employees during a Crisis” where he explained how Bayer India has taken measures to ensure the safety of their workers who had to come to work by providing them with facilities such as transportation, sanitising liquid in office premises and engaging with local communities. According to Mr. Wiebusch “Employees are at the centre of everything we do, everything we are today and everything we can be tomorrow. During challenging times such as these, employees look up to their workplaces for truly demonstrating the values they stand for. This gives them the motivation and assurance that they are cared for.

The economic decline has prompted a few Indian state governments including Uttar Pradesh (UP), Madhya Pradesh (MP), and Gujarat to significantly ease the application of the labour laws to help boost the economy and attract more investment. The changes made varied from state to state, with the most changes made by the UP government, who summarily suspended nearly all labour laws in the state for the next three years. These

PublicDomainPictures from Pixabay

The lockdown has greatly impacted businesses and put incredible stress on workers

in India

Many workers, especially those in the informal sector,

continue to struggle for basic wages and safe working

conditions. A large number of workers are still lacking

social security, unemployment insurance, and health insurance coverage.

ultrafilter (india) private limited

SustainMarkets

Employees are at the center of everything we do, everything we are today and everything we can be tomorrow. During challenging

times such as these, employees look up to their workplaces for truly demonstrating the values

they stand for.

Simon-Thorsten Wiebusch

Chief Operating OfficerCrop Science Division of Bayer India,

Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh

Companies need to walk the extra mile to not only make employee’s physical health and safety a priority but also ensure that they support employees achieve a work-life balance. Motivated employees will always put in greater efforts to ensure business continuity and perform their best despite constraints. This will ultimately help employees build resilience, contribute to business success and help revive the economy.”

During our recent webinar on “Responsible Supply Chains”, Natasha Majumdar, Network Representative India, amfori, expressed the need to react responsibly to the current pandemic. In this regards, amfori released guidance on Responsible Purchasing Practices (bit.ly/3dzCgfV) and Responsible Recovery (bit.ly/2BH7PXU) by issuing a position paper with recommendations for governments and the EU.

Webinars mentioned above were organised by IGCC SustainMarkets as a continuation of our efforts to support member companies in the face of the pandemic. SustainMarkets is a chapter of the IGCC that works to enlarge the resilience and sustainability of our member companies by supporting, promoting, and facilitating sustainable business practices and inclusive growth. Get in touch to know how we can make your business more resilient and continue to grow in difficult times.

Businesses in India have responded admirably to protect workers during the pandemic. Essential businesses such as Bayer India

have taken measures to ensure the safety of their workers who had to come to work by providing them with facilities such as transportation and sanitising liquid in the office premises. Other businesses have responded to the Indian government’s call for businesses to ensure workers under their employment are financially protected during the pandemic. Such examples show closer cooperation between workers and businesses can be achieved in India without sacrificing productivity and profitability.

Companies and workers need to work together to ensure India’s economic recovery, especially in major Indian industries such as the textiles and apparel industries (TA industries).

This article talks about the following SDGs:


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On 4th June 2020, Indo-German Chamber of Commerce’s SustainMarkets chapter, in partnership with amfori, organised a webinar on “Responsible Supply Chains: Upholding Global Supply Chains in the Textile and Clothing Sector”. The webinar brought together five industry experts in a live interaction on the importance of sustainable practices to strengthen supply chains in the Indian textile and clothing sector. The ongoing lockdown in India and the rest of the world drastically reduced demand and revenue for textile and clothing brands across the globe which prompted cancellations of processed orders and delayed payments to suppliers. This creates negative impact along the supply chains as companies and small enterprises are forced to scale down their operations, leading to loss of income and jobs for employees and workers. The economic and social strains arising from this crisis have decimated the global supply chains and degrade the standard of living of the general population. These concerns have raised the need to make supply chains more sustainable and resilient against external shocks like the current pandemic by integrating the principles of responsible business practices. Anuraag Agar wal, Head Business Development, Strategy, Mergers & Acquisitions of the Future Group, expressed how India has the opportunity to be a global leader in

Responsible Supply Chains in the Textile and Clothing Sector

sustainable supply chains but needs to “take a giant leap” to achieve it. He highlighted the need to make major changes in how supply chains operate and to put greater focus on the social conditions of doing business, such as the plight of migrant workers.

While the impact of lockdown in India have been very profound, Venkat Kotamaraju, Director of Circular Apparel Innovation Factory (CAIF) stated that although the impact was caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, the pandemic has only exposed and magnified the existing deficiencies of the current system. He underlined the need to have a more resilient and sustainable supply chains.

Chief Sustainability Officer of Aditya Birla Group, Tony Henshaw, contributed to the discussion with a call to move from focussing on terminological questions about “sustainability” toward greater efforts to build sustainable businesses by learning from the current pandemic. He further added that the world is increasingly moving toward legal standards regarding sustainable businesses. These will create legal constraints, thus increasing the sustainability of one’s own business and supply chains will be crucial for business continuity.

Resonating the points made by previous speakers, Kelvin Sergeant, Sustainable Enterprise Development Specialist from the International Labour Organization (ILO), highlighted the importance of governments and employers being socially responsible

for its employees and workers, which would ultimately benefit business and society at large. Sustainable businesses and supply chains cannot exist without a comprehensive worker-centric support mechanism in place.

According to Natasha Majumdar, Network Representative India, amfori, sustainable supply chains in the textile and clothing sector are vital to India because of the country’s dependency on the sectors in export revenue and employment. For the country to recover economically and socially, it is important to respond responsibly to the Covid-19 pandemic. Employers and employees alike have suffered losses due to the lockdown and they need to have dialogues and work together to recover and safeguard against future crises.

The webinar was a continuation of IGCC’s webinar series in the face of the pandemic. IGCC SustainMarkets is here to help enlarge the resilience and sustainability of our member companies by supporting, promoting, and facilitating sustainable business practices and inclusive growth. Get in touch to know how we can make your business more resilient and continue to grow in difficult times.

This article talks about the following SDGs:

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Business Learnings from BC to AD: Before Corona to After Disturbance, Destruction, Devastation?

Even as the highly infectious COVID-19 pandemic is continuing to wreak havoc and spread uncertainty across the globe, the only grain of truth is that the world will never be the same when all this subsides. Hence, on 3rd April 2020, the Indo- German Training Centre announced its first webinar on “Business Learnings from BC to AD” by faculty M. Hariharan, popularly known as the “The Game Changer” by all IGTCians. By education, he is a Chartered Accountant and a Cost Management Accountant. By profession, he is the Director of Savoir Faire Management Services Pvt. Ltd.

In his inimitable style, Mr. Hariharan touched on the following key topics for business preparedness: • Adapting to the PESTEL challenges of

COVID 19• Learning from the challenges• Applying learnings to business survival

and growth

The webinar was attended by an overwhelming audience of 230+ invitees comprising of IGTC alumni (PGPBA and EBMP batches) from all over the world, and corporate members from partnering companies. The community deeply appreciated the content as it was the start of the ‘new normal’ and there were a lot of apprehensions and questions about new strategies to thrive business.

Mr. Hariharan concluded his presentation by infusing optimism in the audience. “In the struggle for survival, the fittest win at

the expense of their rivals because they succeed in adapting themselves best to their environment,” he said.

The must-dos to be followed are: • Personal Hygiene: Extending that to better

workplace management• Societal Care: Extending that to more

inclusive business models• Environmental Care: Extending that to

more eco-sensitive business models• Work-Life Balance: Extending that to

making jobs less movement needed• Adapting to the changes: Extending that

to inculcate flexibility in the work place

The webinar concluded on an extremely encouraging note, “Tough times never last; tough people do”.

IGTC’s first live webinar on the most recent and insightful topic “Business Learnings from BC to AD” with Prof. M. Hariharan.

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Lockdown Buster: Learning TransformationIt was mid-January when we the students of IGTC PGPBA Batch 2019 – 2021 were undergoing our Practical Training Term I at our respective interning companies. While we were intensely enjoying the exposure of working on the projects, the internet was flooded with mysterious analysis of a deadly Coronavirus spreading in China. The initial reactions were typical as we scrolled over social media, filled with random memes, fake videos and fake home remedies but we never imagined then that this local Chinese virus was about to come to us in the next few weeks capable of causing a colossal impact.

Beginning February 2020, we returned to IGTC from our interning companies for Theoretical Term II with great enthusiasm for being back in class with our peers. We were charged up for the upcoming term with more interesting subjects in our curriculum guided by experienced faculty. The term was just shifting gears and picking up the pace when the very virus soon became a serious outbreak globally. The COVID-19 pandemic had hit India now with several positive cases triggered as people travelled.

On 12th March 2020, observing the trend of the virus of the European nations, the Government of India decided to slow down various sectors starting with tourism and education first. By this time there was an abrupt halt as all the educational institutes were shutting down leading to a natural demotivation amongst the

student community. The economists globally forecasted an upcoming mammoth recession. IGTC similarly decided to shut to abide by the strict orders of the state government. Natural fear and chaos were amongst us students too, but the IGTC director, faculty, and administration team had created a learning plan for us. They demonstrated tremendous strength, agility, and focus to continue the delivery of lectures on the online platforms immediately. It was merely with a break of 2 days that IGTC ensured that we migrated to our lecture schedules online. IGTC kept us optimistic and motivated with a clear principle, “If you can’t FLY, then RUN. If you can’t RUN, then WALK. If you can’t WALK, then CRAWL. But whatever you do, keep the wheels in motion.” This was an inspiring situation for us while the country was getting into total lockdown. We were made to experience nothing but positivity.

As the new normal continued, we encountered a bunch of hurdles such as internet instability, lagging bandwidth and videos, sound and mic issues, senior faculty adapting with the new digital platform, and the new way of online teaching, but more importantly, time management, discipline, and self-motivation. All of us were bound to sit in front of our laptops for almost 12-14 hrs a day including 6-8 hrs of online classes with group/individual projects, subject-wise homework, and regular after-class studies. Non-Mumbaikar students started leaving for

their hometown since the situation did not seem to improve. The graph rose steeply with rising cases worldwide and it was time we all became aware of the seriousness and massive impact of the pandemic on the global economy. The lockdown situation and terrifying news all round added fuel to the fire impacting our emotional state of mind.

IGTC stood by us rock-solid to boost our morale constantly, they guided us to look beyond the horizon to aim for the silver lining. The faculty, by giving examples of COVID-19 situations, tried their best to deliver us the key learnings. They constantly cajoled us to see the bright side in unforeseen situations, to rise and shine above them and to develop a unique spirit in ourselves to be resilient and unbeatable. The new mantra was “Zusammen sind wir stark!” says Yashashree Borse, Management Trainee, Siemens Ltd.

By the end of Term II, we all faced rapid-fire quizzes, polls, online mid-term tests, engaged in group case study discussions in breakout rooms, submitted all our assignments, were put under the grill of online vivas and presentations, and finally successfully completed written examinations under a self-declared ethical pledge of integrity under the observation of the IGTC team! “All permutations and combinations are possible at IGTC!” quotes Akshay Bhagwat, Management Trainee, Hirschvogel Automotive Group.

After 3 months, we can proudly say that we have all sailed through it all. Be it common issues or personal problems, they were all attended immediately and on priority by the IGTC faculty. A suitable solution to every problem was applied to every respective issue via regular open discussions and feedback daily. Being a part of IGTC, everyone has graciously accepted the new normal. We are trying our best to adapt and imbibe the core values of the IGTC anthem “Nurturing Curiosity, Seeking to Innovate, Infusing Optimism, and Inspiring Excellence.”

Unlike a few B schools which were not prepared to face such unpredictable situations, IGTC has shouldered the With a virtual examination hall and actual invigilators, IGTC successfully conducted Term II final examinations.

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responsibility and accountability of educating us (its precious batch of 100 students), to stand apart from the crowd and to build confidence to overcome every possible hurdle on the path all along, be it our personal or corporate lives. “Now we know that there are no dead ends, only sharp

Tariq Kachwala, Director, FG Glass Industries Pvt. Ltd. conducts the most engaging and lucid guest lecture on the 20 Immutable Laws of Marketing to the IGTC PGPBA students.

turns, but there is always a way out”, said Namita Gulavani, Management Trainee, Siemens Ltd.

This crisis has changed us and we have a great story to tell! Change management was a subject in our curriculum, now we can say

that we have lived through it at IGTC.

Article contributed by Ronak Contractor, Management Trainee at Siemens Healthineers, PGPBA Batch 2019 – 2021.

After the restart post lockdown, the economy and industry is gradually coming back. On resuming operations, industries are facing weak demand/ orders, disrupted supply chain, challenges of coping with new safety norms at workplace apart from liquidity issues, etc.

We recognise that most of the international exhibitors at IMTEX will also find it challenging to participate in full measure at IMTEX 2021 with the current challenges including international/domestic travel restrictions/guidelines, social distancing norms and serious health and safety issues.

Under these highly challenging and unforeseen circumstances, IMTMA has decided to shift IMTEX 2021 & Tooltech 2021 to 17th – 23rd June 2021 from January 2021.

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Digitalization@IGTC“Nothing has more strength than dire necessity.”The perfect example of this statement is the movement toward digitalization in the face of the Covid-19 pandemic. The world didn’t have a choice and it was a time to demonstrate the ability to rise to the occasion. IGTC certainly believed in being the one to showcase this. Fortunately, IGTC had proactively begun its journey toward digitalization since 2018. This pre-emptive effort outshined in the summer of 2020 when the world came to a standstill. IGTC’s highly customized, digital dashboard called “Access@IGTC” was developed by Autuskey Technology Development Pvt. Ltd. (autuskey.com), an IT consulting company in Pune. It is a one-stop-shop for all the IGTC premier workflows. It is a platform which connects across all the IGTC stakeholders including the IGTC team, IGTC faculty, PGPBA students and their parents, EBMP managers, and IGTC partnering organizations. The last piece, the IGTC alumni module, is still in the development stage. The digital dashboard facilitates the following features:• Online applications at IGTC: Receipt of

online application forms, application form fees, recommendation letters, supporting identification and academic documents

• Admission process at IGTC: Allocation of online test and group interaction slots, process evaluations and marks, allotment of partner training companies and dispatch of admission letters

• Academic Programme Management: Student profiles, timetable and lecture schedules, leaves and attendance, faculty remuneration calculation, faculty feedback, seating and assignment grouping, course materials, assignments and project submissions, and examination papers, marks and results, placement data, tuition fees payments.

• Library: Database, issuance and late fee management.

• Database Management, emailing and notifications to all stakeholders.

Undoubtedly, Access@IGTC proved to be the lifeline across all IGTC stakeholders during this pandemic and helped us ensure that all processes at IGTC remain in motion with no

barriers. We discovered that we were able to stay afloat despite turbulent waters.

Now isn’t that what we can claim as a milestone achieved!

Student Login

Corporate Login

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Members’ News Indo-German Economy 3 | 2020

The Indo-German Chamber of Commerce welcomes its new membersIndian Members

German Members

Hemera India Pvt. Ltd., GurgaonE-mail: [email protected]

Jagdambay Forgings, LudhianaE-mail: [email protected]

Klaus Union Engineering India Private Limited, Pune Dist.E-mail: [email protected]

MGB & Co. LLP, MumbaiE-mail: [email protected]

ParamTech CAD Services Pvt Ltd, PuneE-mail: [email protected]

P.G.R. Exports, TirupurE-mail: [email protected]

Pidilite Industries Limited, MumbaiE-mail: [email protected]

Prasad S. Kulkarni, PuneE-mail: [email protected]

Qualitas Exports Pvt. Ltd., PuneE-mail: [email protected]

Samarth Enterprises, PuneE-mail: [email protected]

Sartorius Stedim India Pvt. Ltd., BangaloreEmail: [email protected]: www.sartorius.com

SBH & Co., PuneE-mail: [email protected]

Shankar Iyer, BangaloreE-mail: [email protected]

Snark Power Private Limited, Pune Dist.E-mail: [email protected]

Software AG Bangalore Technologies Pvt. Ltd., BangaloreE-mail: [email protected]

Accurate Engineering Company Pvt. Ltd., PuneE-mail: [email protected]

Anjana International Industries, New DelhiE-mail: [email protected]: www.anjanaindustries.com

APJ Cabs Private Limited, ChennaiE-mail: [email protected]

ARI Armaturen Steamline LLP, PuneE-mail: [email protected]

Ashish Brass Components Pvt Ltd, JamnagarE-mail: [email protected]

Bharat Floorings & Tiles (Mumbai) Pvt. Ltd., MumbaiE-mail: [email protected]: www.bharatfloorings.com

Brenntag Ingredients India Pvt Ltd, MumbaiE-mail: [email protected]

CFO Angle Advisory Services LLP, BangaloreE-mail: [email protected]

Challenger Sweepers Pvt. Ltd., PuneE-mail: [email protected]

GL Architects, Pune Ar. Gaurang LeleE-mail: [email protected], [email protected]: www.glarchitects.in

Gupta Mechanical and Sundry Stores, PatialaE-mail: [email protected]

Hardik Ashok Gandhi, MumbaiEmail: [email protected]

HASCO India Pvt. Ltd., BangaloreE-mail: [email protected]

Starrag India Pvt.Ltd., BangaloreE-mail: [email protected]

Super Cartons, PuneE-mail: [email protected]: www.supercartons.com

Taledge Solutions Private Limited, PuneE-mail: [email protected]: www.taledge.co

TLT Engineering India Pvt.Ltd., MumbaiE-mail: [email protected]

Valtech India Systems Private Limited, BangaloreE-mail: [email protected]

Venus Trading Co., NagapattinamE-mail: [email protected]

KWS Vegetables B.V., WageningenWebsite: www.kws.com

WELCOME NEW MEMBERS!

As you explore opportunities with the Indo-German Chamber of Commerce, here’s your chance to introduce your company, products and services to our 7000 member companies.

Give your business the visibility it deserves with our exclusive, one-time ‘New Member Introduction Highlight’ offer.

For further details, please contact:[email protected]

[email protected]

Members’ News

62


GL Architects is an Architectural design firm established in the Year 2007 in Pune. We specialise in designing of Industrial buildings and Office Spaces.

We provide comprehensive Architectural Consultancy Services. Our services include:• Architectural Design • Liasioning with Govt Bodies for procurement of statutory

approvals• Cost Estimation and Tender documentation• Project management services including quality checks

and site supervision• Interior Designing Services• Design and build Services

We have the experience of working for European and Asian clients and have done projects across the State of Maharashtra and New Delhi.

Contact details:Mr. Gaurang Lele – Principal ArchitectAddress: 6, 2nd Floor, Shubhatara Apartments, Lane between Ashtekar Jewellers and Union Bank of India, Karve Road, Pune 411004Mobile: +91 9011057765Email: [email protected]; [email protected]: www.glarchitects.in

We are an ISO certified PRINTING and PACKAGING located in Pune, India. We are manufacturers of leaflets, brochures, books, manuals, folders, magazines, labels, stickers, multicolour duplex, E-flute cartons, blister cards & rigid boxes since 1985. For the past three and a half decades, Super Cartons has provided not just printing but branding solutions to all of our clients, using the latest technology and the dedication of our talented and skilled team.

We aim to produce Environmentally Friendly Packaging Products with high standards of QUALITY to match every specification. We export the majority of our production to America and Europe.

We as an organization is constantly and dynamically evolving, striving to rise above customer expectations and positive attitude towards becoming a LEARNING ORGANISATION. Because of this trait, we have ventured into contract manufacturing. We have been a contract manufacturer for a German Company “RELAXOUND GMBH” located in Berlin since the last 6 years. We can contract manufacturer ANY ITEM from small to medium scale.

Contact details:Sanjay BothraSuper CartonsAddress: 39/1/1/1, VadgaonSheri, Pune – 411014Phone: +91 9371015813Email: [email protected]: www.supercartons.com

Founded in 2001, Anjana International Industries, started with the sole mission of redefining the standard of excellence in healthcare by providing access to state-of-the-art medical products and solutions by partnering with leading German companies.

In our pursuit to shape the future of healthcare in India, we have successfully formed Joint Ventures with leading international companies like Crossmobil GmbH, Aicher Ambulanz GmbH. We are proud to count as our clients leading Medical Institutes as well as the highest offices in the Govt. Of India like the President’s Office, Prime Minister’s Office, Ministry Of Defence, Ministry of Health and Welfare, etc.

Sports Division:Since 2011, we have ventured into supplying Olympic Water Sports equipment which is new to India. We’ve captured 80% of the market in the Sport of Kayaking and Canoeing, Slalom and Rowing. With exclusive partners from Europe like Nelo (Portugal), Filippe (Italy), we are fast developing in this sector and would like to venture into other Olympic Sports goods being manufactured in Germany.

We take this opportunity to invite leading companies from Germany to partner with us in the field of medical equipment and allied services to tap the potential of one of the fastest-growing markets in the world.

Contact details:Mr. Rajan HandaAddress: C-8, East of Kailash, 2nd floor, New Delhi- 110065Phone: +919810121315Email: [email protected]: www.anjanaindustries.com

The Bharat Floorings and Tiles, an ISO 9001:2015 Certified Company is the leader in quality cement floorings in India since 1922.

Our patterned encaustic tiles have been much acclaimed by architects, interior designers, and have received awards from UNESCO. Each tile is individually hand-crafted from the finest, carefully selected ingredients, aesthetically blended to create a high-quality tile of rich and glowing colours. At BFT, we are keeping alive handcrafted tradition and also focus on research and development to bring in floor trends and new innovations.

At BFT, we do all India projects and also export tiles to the USA, England, Sri Lanka, Mauritius, Dubai, etc.

We are looking for like-minded business partners who are dealing in a niche area of the construction products industry and have a good set of clienteles who are interior decorators, architects, hotels, and home builders. They should understand that they are dealing with the end customer who wants a customised, long-lasting product that will be a work of art for their project.

Contact details:Email: [email protected]: www.bharatfloorings.com

Try our virtual flooring simulator: www.bharatfloorings.com/floorIT.htmlFollow us on - Instagram: bharatfloorings Facebook: BharatFloors

Taledge Solutions Private Limited is an expert resource-based organisation in which the panel of industry consultants work at the crossroads of Talent Management and Industry Consulting as required by Organisations.

Talent ManagementAs part of Talent Management, we aim to profile and screen talent using our assessments that provide constructive segregation of skill levels of individuals, mapped for various industry functions. Further, individual development on functional and soft skills is provided through specific industry-oriented training programs curated and delivered by industry experts. We also help corporates with our workforce competency assessment and development programs. We, with our German partner DNLA, discover the untapped hidden potential through scientifically proven competency assessments that also help understand the key development areas of any individual for the success in each role. We are confident in bringing significant benefits in terms of better emotional engagement of employees and improved productivity.

ConsultingWe provide industry consulting services and corporate training programs through our panel of industry experts for Hydrocarbon, Petrochem, Fertilizers, Chemicals and power industries.

Contact details:Amitabh Chaturvedi - Managing PartnerAddress: 503-DAISY, Silver Dale Society B.T. Kawade Road, Ghorpadi, Pune – 411001Phone: +91 9890800670Email: [email protected]: www.taledge.co

The Sartorius Group is a leading international partner of biopharmaceutical research and the industry. With innovative laboratory instruments and consumables, the Group’s Lab Products & Services Division concentrates on serving the needs of laboratories performing research and quality control at pharma and biopharma companies and those of academic research institutes. The Bioprocess Solutions Division with its broad product portfolio focusing on single-use solutions helps customers to manufacture biotech medications and vaccines safely and efficiently.

The Lab Products & Services Division concentrates on research laboratories in the pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical industries, as well as on academic research institutes. At the end of 2019, more than 9,000 people were employed at the Group’s approximately 60 manufacturing and sales sites, serving customers around the globe.

In the Bioprocess Solutions Division, Sartorius offers a broad portfolio of products that focuses on all major steps in the manufacture of a biopharmaceutical, as well as in process development as prerequisite procedures. The Divisions technologies cover, inter alia, cell line technologies, cell culture media, bioreactors, and a wide range of products for the separation, purification and concentration of biological intermediates and finished products, as well as solutions for their storage and transportation.

Contact details:Sartorius Stedim India Pvt LtdAddress: No. 69/2, 69/3, Jakkasandra, Nelamangala, Bangalore – 562123Phone : + 9008782400Email: [email protected]: www.sartorius.com

Profiles of the Member Companies

Published by the Indo-German Chamber of CommercePublisher Bernhard SteinrückeEditor Nikhil RastogiAdvertisements Jennifer D’Lima / Genelle Fernandes Visualizer Sangeetha Roopawalla, Creative PulsePrinted at Indo Flexi Pack Pvt. Ltd.

Head OfficeMumbai Maker Tower ‘E’, 1st Floor, Cuffe Parade, Mumbai - 400005. Tel.: +91-22-66652 121 Fax: +91-22-66652 120 E-mail: [email protected]

• Director General: Bernhard Steinrücke• Dy. Director General/ Head, DEinternational: Peter Deubet• Finance/Admin./Co. Affairs: Zarir Desai• Corporate Communication/Delegations/Events: Sana Bagdadi & Monaz Desai Tantzscher

• Membership: Radha Matthai• Nürnberg Fairs: Haleema Sayed• Berlin/Hamburg Fairs: Tanu Ailawadi• Administration: Hemant Rathi• Legal Department: Sabina Pandey• Indo-German Training Centre: Radhieka Mehta

• Inbound Services: Mira Dalvi Sahni• Outbound Services: Chaitra Dole • HR Services: Chaitra Dole • EUREM Training: Sebastian Soenksen

Branch OfficesDelhiIndo-German Chamber of Commerce,Deutsch-Indische Handelskammer,21 Jor Bagh, New Delhi – 110 003.Tel.: +91-11-47168 888 / 801Fax: +91-11-26873 221 E-mail: [email protected]. Director General: Sonia PrasharIndian Fairs: Sonia Prashar

Kolkata 3A, Gurusaday Road, Kolkata – 700019. Tel.: +91-33-22837 962 / 970 +91-33-22802 236 Fax: +91-33-22837 963 E-mail: [email protected] Director: Sabina PandeyIndo-German Training Centre: Sabina Pandey

Chennai German Centre, No.32 (Old No.117), G. N. Chetty Road, T. Nagar, Chennai – 600017. Tel.: +91-44-28340 835/ 836 Fax: +91-44-28341 837 E-mail: [email protected] Director: MallikarjunaIndo-German Training Centre: Mallikarjuna

Bengaluru403, Shah Sultan, 4th Floor, Cunningham Road, Bengaluru – 560052. Tel.: +91-80-22265 650 Fax: +91-80-22203 797 E-mail: [email protected] Director: Sumit SharmaIndo-German Training Centre: Sumit Sharma

Pune710, Nucleus Mall, 1, Church Road,Opp. Police Commissioner’s Office, Pune – 411001. Tel.: +91-20-41047 100 Fax: +91-20-41047 117 E-mail: [email protected] Director: Mira Dalvi SahniHead - Inbound & Outbound Services: Dipti Kanitkar

Liaison Office DüsseldorfCitadellstraße 12, 40213, DüsseldorfTel.: +49-211-360 597 / 360 598 / 362 749 Fax: +49-211-350 287 E-mail: [email protected] Director: Dirk Matter

Representative Offices India Desks Abroad India Desks in Germany •Ahmedabad •Aurangabad •Bhubaneswar •Cochin •Coimbatore •Chandigarh •Goa •Hyderabad •Indore •Jalandhar •Mysore •Nashik •Patna •Ranchi •Srinagar •Trivandrum •Vadodara

•Bangkok •Colombo •Hong Kong •Houghton •Kuala Lumpur •Riyadh •Singapore •Sydney

•Berlin •Bremen •Dresden •Düsseldorf •Frankfurt •Freiburg •Halle/Saale •Hamburg •Hannover •Mainz •Mannheim •München •Nürnberg •Osnabrück-Emsland •Saarbrücken •Stuttgart •Würzburg

Representative in Brussels / BelgiumIGCC Website: www.indo-german.com

Indo-German Training Centres (IGTC) Website: www.igtcindia.comIGTC Mumbai Tel.: +91-22-22822 002 +91-22-22834 773 E-mail: [email protected]

IGTC ChennaiTel.: +91-44-28340 107/ 067 E-mail: [email protected]

IGTC Bengaluru Tel.: +91-80-40926 130 E-mail: [email protected]

IGTC Website: www.igtcindia.com

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Indo-German Chamber of CommerceDeutsch-Indische Handelskammer

Bengaluru Pune DüsseldorfMumbai Delhi Kolkata Chennai

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indien.ahk.de€¦ · ‘Virtual Market Entry’ - a new service offering a technology-enabled and digitally driven approach to entering the Indian market. This approach entails a