India has just been designated the official Partner Country at Hannover Messe 2015, putting this vast nation of more than 1.2 billion inhabitants squarely in the spotlight at the world’s leading industrial exhibition. “India is an emerging economic giant which is going to open up enormous sales potential for our German and international exhibitors at Hannover Messe,” commented Dr. Jochen Köckler, member of the Deutsche Messe Managing Board. “At the same time we will be offering even more exhibitors from India access to new global markets. Ultimately all our exhibitors and visitors as well as the trade fair venue of Hannover will benefit equally from the participation of this attractive Partner Country.”

There were three main reasons for the selection: India’s fast-growing economy, the many years of good relations between German and Indian enterprises and the positive experience of having India as the Partner Country at Hannover Messe 2006. 

Boasting an average annual growth rate of 10 percent over the last 10 years and with current growth running at around five percent, India is one of the world’s fastest-growing economies. To stimulate growth the country is opening itself up to further foreign investment, having decided to modernize its infrastructure and industrial plant and equipment. Last year alone, the German federal government promised some one billion euros worth of loans to India – funds which are to be used primarily in the area of energy efficiency, renewable forms of energy and the sustainable use of natural resources. According to Köckler, “India’s participation as the Partner Country comes at exactly the right moment, as our exhibitors from Germany and across the globe will encounter visitors from India who are in the market for state-of-the-art technology to strengthen their domestic economy.”

With a trade volume of 16.1 billion euros, Germany is India’s leading trading partner within the EU. The German trade surplus of approximately 3.4 billion euros (2012/13) reveals the high level of Indian demand for capital goods in particular – above all for machines, which constitute some 33 percent of Germany’s total exports to India. Based on a survey commissioned by the German-Indian Chamber of Commerce, German enterprises are expecting a medium-term increase in exports to India thanks to the business-friendly policies of the country’s newly elected government. 

“Deutsche Messe is particularly well represented in India and will take advantage of our excellent relations in that nation to support India and help ensure its success as the Partner Country,” stated Köckler. India’s most recent participation as Partner Country at Hannover Messe 2006 inspired some 350 Indian exhibitors and 5,700 Indian attendees to make the trip to Hannover. Last year’s event attracted the participation of 122 exhibitors and 2,400 visitors from India. “Having India as the Partner Country will allow us to greatly expand those figures,” remarked Köckler, citing a further motivation for India’s selection as the featured country.