(openPR) - Hamburg (14.10.2010): The last decade has seen India emerge as an economic powerhouse. Growth in India, in contrast to China, has largely been driven by robust domestic demand. Not surprisingly, access to the Indian market has been a primary reason for many foreign firms to invest there. As a result foreign direct investments (FDI) inflows into India have recorded unprecedented volumes. While the accumulated stock of FDI in India prior to economic liberalisation (1990) amounted to less than $ 1.7 billion, it grew to $ 16.3 billion by the turn of the millennium in 2000. Last year it nearly reached the mark of $ 164 billion thereby growing at over 29% a year (CAGR) in past 9 years.
Also German companies, including many small and medium-sized firms, have been at the forefront of investment activities in India. Germany stands as the 8th largest source of FDI in India. German companies in India reportedly generate an annual turnover of over € 14 billion (2008) and employ close to 400,000 people.
Many studies, however, suggest that India remains a tough market for many companies. Especially SMEs often face problems in creating a suitable business model, developing locally adapted and affordable products, managing labour affairs and dealing with the regulatory authorities. In fact, a recent World Bank study ranks India on 133rd place out of 188 as far as the “ease of doing business” is concerned; way behind China (89), Russia (120) and Brazil (129).

The Hamburg chapter of German-Indian Round Table (GIRT) and the Bremen Chamber of Commerce (“Ländernetzwerk Indien”) are glad to announce that Mr. Felix Colsman (Managing Director of Minimax GmbH & Co. KG) and Ms. Nadine Ulrich (German Centre India Holding) will share their experiences in successfully creating, sustaining and expanding India operations with our members and other interested practitioners at their annual joint event in Bremen on 1st November 2010.
Our two speakers have deep “insider knowledge” of India. While Mr. Colsman was recently honoured by the Indo-German Chamber of Commerce for his outstanding contribution to the bilateral business relations, Ms. Ulrich was until recently responsible for managing the German Centre Delhi.Gurgaon and continues to represent it now in Germany. The meeting is therefore set to provide first-hand managerial insights to practitioners. The event will take place in a setting that gives enough room for discussions with the two guests and other participants in addition to providing ample opportunity for networking.

The meeting will take place on 1st November 2010 at 18:00h in Club zu Bremen (Haus Schütting, Am Markt 13, 28195 Bremen) and is in-principle open to everyone with interest in Indo-German business relations, subject to availability of seats. The participation is free of charge: the participants however have to pay for their own consumption of food and beverages.
We cordially invite and look forward to welcoming an interested and interesting audience of decision-makers from the Indo-German business spectrum and the society at large. Since the seating capacity is limited, a binding and confirmed pre-registration via e-mail to Ms. Anja Reinkensmeier (Reinkensmeier@handelskammer-bremen.de) is required latest by October 25, 2010.

About German-Indian Round Table (GIRT)

The German-Indian Round Table (GIRT) was founded in 2001 and forms a loose federation of businessmen and entrepreneurs with strong ties and interests in India. GIRT is targeting to inform about India and strengthen Indo-German business relations. Members of GIRT support cultural and social activities related to India. German-Indian Round Tables are organised regularly in Aachen, Berlin, Düsseldorf, Frankfurt, Hamburg, Hanover, Leipzig/Halle, Munich, Nuremberg, Stuttgart und New Delhi/Gurgaon. GIRT connects about 3,000 people from the Indo-German business community. The head of the local GIRTs and the speakers work on a non-profit basis. (Further information: www.girt.de / www.girt.in)

The Hamburg Chapter of GIRT is headed by Mr. Rajnish Tiwari of Hamburg University of Technology (TU Hamburg-Harburg). Mr. Tiwari works there as a Research Associate at the Institute for Technology and Innovation Management and leads the Research Project “Global Innovation” (www.global-innovation.net). He has done extensive research on Indo-German business relations and is a co-initiator of the India Week in Hamburg (www.india-week-hamburg.org).

Contact GIRT Hamburg:

Rajnish Tiwari
GIRT Hamburg
c/o TU Hamburg-Harburg
Institute TIM (W-7)
Schwarzenbergstr. 95
21073 Hamburg, Germany
Tel. +49 (0)40-42878 3776
Fax +49 (0)40-42878 2869
tiwari@tuhh.de

Press contact:

Sven Andressen
Redaktion GIRT-Blatt
c/o Indien Aktuell Business
Düsseldorf/Bremen
Post: Kaiserswerther Markt 51
40489 Düsseldorf
Tel. +49 (0)421-51660465
Fax +49 (0)421-51660466
Mobil +49 (0)179-60811602
sa@indienaktuell.de

www.girt.de
www.girt.in