India-Germany eye deeper MSME ties

The Indian community in Kelsterbach is steadily growing, with more than 500 Indians currently living in the town, reflecting the strengthening of people to people and business ties between India and Germany, said Manfred Ockel, Mayor, City of Kelsterbach, Germany.

He also invited Indian companies to explore opportunities in his city. He was speaking at the second edition of Indo German MSME Conclave 2026 that was organised by Southern India Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SICCI) in collaboration with GIBA.

Michael Hasper, Consul General of Germany in Chennai told German businesses to look more closely at the opportunities emerging in India and particularly in South India, where a strong industrial base, engineering capabilities, skilled talent and a growing technology ecosystem provide significant scope for deeper Indo-German collaboration.

Alex Paul Menon, Zonal Development Commissioner, MEPZ Special Economic Zone covering Tamilnadu, Andaman & Puducherry (TAP) Region, Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Government of India, said : “We must not regard Europe merely as a destination for exports from Tamil Nadu; we should also view it as a source of investment, technology, industrial partnerships and supply-chain integration.”

“The opportunity lies in transforming this two-way trade into more extensive industrial partnerships, since European companies could invest in manufacturing and research and development in Tamil Nadu, while MSMEs in Tamil Nadu could act as local suppliers, contract manufacturers, engineering partners, and specialised service providers.” he added.