India-Germany eye deeper MSME ties

The Indian community in Kelsterbach is expanding, with over 500 residents of Indian origin currently calling the town home, demonstrating the deepening of people-to-people and business relations between India and Germany, according to Manfred Ockel, Mayor of Kelsterbach, Germany. During the second edition of the Indo German MSME Conclave 2026, organized by the Southern India Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SICCI) in partnership with GIBA, Ockel invited Indian companies to investigate opportunities within his city.

Michael Hasper, Consul General of Germany in Chennai, urged German businesses to pay closer attention to the emerging opportunities in India, particularly in South India. He highlighted the presence of a robust industrial base, engineering expertise, skilled workforce, and a burgeoning technology ecosystem, all of which offer substantial potential for enhanced collaboration between India and Germany.

Alex Paul Menon, Zonal Development Commissioner for the MEPZ Special Economic Zone covering Tamil Nadu, Andaman & Puducherry (TAP) Region, spoke at the conclave. He stressed that Europe should not be viewed solely as a destination for exports from Tamil Nadu; instead, it should also be seen as a source of investment, technology, industrial partnerships, and supply-chain integration.

Menon emphasized the potential for transforming this reciprocal trade into more substantial industrial partnerships, noting that European companies could invest in manufacturing and research and development in Tamil Nadu, while MSMEs in the region could serve as local suppliers, contract manufacturers, engineering partners, and specialized service providers.