Excellencies,
Consul General Gupta,
Ms Ghosh,
Members of the Hamburg Parliament,
Members of the Consular Corps,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Welcome to Hamburg City Hall for the opening of India Week Hamburg!
This year's India Week is a special one as we are celebrating the 10th anniversary of this event.
Over the past 10 years, the India Week has grown into a renowned festival of German-Indian partnership and cooperation.
The first event in 2007 focused on business. This is still a key element of India Week Hamburg, but today we also look at many other aspects - culture, science, sports, civil society and politics.
During this week, more than 70 different events will present India and important areas of our bilateral cooperation.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Hamburg and India have been linked by maritime trade for more than 400 years.
Today, India is one of our most important partners in the Asia-Pacific region.
Three-quarters of all German maritime trade with India is handled by the Port of Hamburg.
But our relationship goes far beyond trade.
India is an emerging economy with a strong commitment to digitalization and innovation and a booming startup scene.
It has a genuine interest in climate protection and the development of sustainable technologies.
This makes India an attractive partner for Hamburg in many areas such as green hydrogen, smart mobility, artificial intelligence and life sciences.
Dear Ms. Gosh,
we are honored to welcome you and a high-level delegation from the “National Association of Software and Service Companies” (NASSCOM) to our city.
We look forward to your keynote address.
International, forward-looking partnerships have always been important to Hamburg.
Currently, the geopolitical order is changing due to the Russian attack on Ukraine and the war in the Middle East. International relations are under strain.
In such situations, longstanding and reliable partnerships like ours between Hamburg and India are even more valuable to us.
As we look for new partners to diversify our relationships, especially in the Indo-Pacific region, India is becoming increasingly important to us.
The volume of our bilateral trade and mutual investments is growing.
The Hamburg Representative Office in Mumbai, which was established in 2011, is making significant efforts to foster our relations.
The office supports Hamburg companies in entering the Indian market and promotes Hamburg as an excellent place to do business in Germany and Europe.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Hamburg is a global city, home to people from more than 190 countries.
Among them are more than 8,000 citizens from India – twice as many as ten years ago.
More than 1,000 students from India are enrolled at our universities.
The Indian community in Hamburg contributes much to the prosperity of our city and enriches our life and culture.
Students and professionals from India are very welcome in Hamburg. Many of them work as engineers, software developers and in the health sector.
They are highly qualified and motivated, and we are very happy to have them.
The Hamburg Welcome Center helps young professionals from India and many other countries find jobs and start their lives here.
Another important resource is the Indian Consulate General.
Indian culture and business are part of everyday life in Hamburg.
More than 60 Indian companies have established branches in Hamburg. Indian food, movies and yoga studios are very popular.
We have several Sikh and Hindu temples, an Indian football team, an Indian hockey club, and the India Week, where people can learn about many other aspects of Indian culture, politics and daily life.
Dear Ladies and Gentlemen,
Hamburg is looking forward to an exciting week of talks and exhibitions, conferences and lectures, films, theatre and dance performances, workshops and discussions.
I would like to thank all partners of the 10th India Week:
- The Consulate General of India in Hamburg, especially for generously opening their doors for many of this week's events;
- the German-Indian Round Table,
- the German Asia-Pacific Business Association,
- the Hamburg Representation in Mumbai,
- the Hamburg Chamber of Commerce,
- Hamburg Invest,
- and the Hamburg Ministry of Culture and Media.
We are also grateful for the support of our sponsors:
- Hapag Lloyd,
- oikon Law,
- Eppendorf SE;
- Helm AG,
- NXP,
- Gujarat Fluorochemicals,
- and Badshah Restaurant.
Thank you very much for your contributions and support that make the India Week possible.
I wish us all a great evening and an inspiring India Week Hamburg 2023. Thank you very much.