PM Narendra Modi and German Chancellor Angela Merkel at the Bosch Engineering and Innovation Centre in Bengaluru (Agence France-Presse photo)
Making a strong 'Make in India' pitch, Prime Minister Narendra Modi today called for greater collaboration with Germany at an event attended by Chancellor Angela Merkel in Bengaluru. "At a time of global slowdown, India represents a bright spot for investments," PM Modi said.
Here are the latest developments:
Speaking at the Indo-German Summit organised by leading IT lobby group Nasscom, PM Modi said that his government had "worked for 15 months to make India an easy place to do business." "We have taken very decisive steps to remove a number of long-pending concerns of investors," the PM said.
Promoting his ambitious 'Digital India' campaign, the PM said, "It is the software of India that will move the hardware of the world."
Warming up to the theme, Chancellor Merkel said, "German engineering and India's IT expertise are fused here in Bengaluru."
The two leaders had earlier visited the Bengaluru plant of German automotive major Bosch, where they interacted with its executives on innovation and research to help the government promote 'Make in India' and 'Digital India'.
Prime Minister Modi reached Bengaluru early this morning. Ms Merkel flew into the city on Monday night from New Delhi, where she had held talks with PM Modi. She is on a three-day visit to India.
After three-hour-long talks and signing 18 deals, PM Modi had, on Monday, said, "We see Germany as a natural partner in achieving our vision of India's economic transformation. German strengths and India's priorities are aligned."
The two countries signed deals worth $2.25 billion (around Rs. 14,600 crore) on German investment in developing India's clean energy corridors and solar energy industry, ahead of the crucial UN climate change talks to be held in Paris in December.
An agreement was also signed under which German will be taught in Kendriya Vidyalayas or central schools across India as an additional foreign language while modern Indian languages will be taught in Germany.
Germany is already India's most important trading partner in Europe. Trade was worth nearly $17.9 billion (around Rs. 1.16 lakh crore) in 2014 - mostly in chemicals, machine tools, electrical goods and textiles.
Ms Merkel welcomed the fast-track approval agreement signed on Monday, which will ensure German companies have a single point of contact with the Indian government, to avoid the layers of bureaucracy.
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