India and Germany Explore R&D and Manufacturing Partnership at Berlin Global Dialogue

Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal stated that research cooperation between India and Germany could create substantial opportunities for joint innovation, product development, and manufacturing in India. Speaking at the Berlin Global Dialogue, Goyal pointed to the existing partnership between the two nations and noted that the India-EU Free Trade Agreement opens a new chapter in bilateral research and development cooperation.

“The research cooperation, which we envisage with Germany, can open up huge opportunities to co-develop, co-design, co-create, co-innovate, manufacture in India, meet the large market in India, with the plethora of free trade agreements that we have got into,” Goyal said during the address.

According to the minister, India's trade agreements currently cover two-thirds of global markets and are projected to extend to 75 per cent of global GDP over the next 12 to 18 months. He highlighted the potential of combining German precision technology and engineering with India's skilled workforce and cost-effective manufacturing capabilities to serve international markets.

“Covering already two-thirds of global markets, and in the next year, year and a half, will cover 75 percent of global GDP. Can you imagine German precision technology and engineering, Indian talent and affordable costs of manufacturing, serving the globe? That's the ambition that I have come to invite you to,” he added.

During his visit to Berlin, Goyal held discussions with German Federal Minister for Economic Affairs and Energy Katherina Reiche. According to a Ministry of Commerce and Industry statement released on Friday, the talks centered on strengthening bilateral trade and investment ties, with particular emphasis on opportunities arising from the India-European Union Free Trade Agreement.

The two ministers explored ways to deepen industrial cooperation and discussed the potential of the FTA to enhance trade ties between the two economies. As part of the visit, Goyal also co-chaired an India-Germany Business Roundtable. The event was organized in collaboration with the German Council on Foreign Relations and the Asia-Pacific Committee of German Business, bringing together leading German chief executive officers and business representatives to discuss translating the proposed trade agreement into practical business and investment opportunities.

"The collaborative framework discussed between India and Germany highlights a strategic convergence of engineering expertise and cost-effective manufacturing. For businesses, particularly startups and enterprises operating in deep tech, manufacturing, and R&D sectors, aligning with broader international trade agreements like the India-EU FTA can open significant avenues for global market expansion and cross-border innovation." — Dr. Shishir Gupta, Founder & CEO, StartupLanes