In her opening address, with a view to networked manufacturing, the Chancellor stressed, "We must develop further every day." This will include putting in place effective digital infrastructure and establishing an alliance of associations, industry and the research community.

Angela Merkel also advocated more intensive trading relations with India, which is this year’s partner country of the Hannover Messe. "There is still scope to step up trade between Germany and India, although Germany is already India’s largest European trading partner," she said. She is convinced that India will be presenting itself in Hannover as a leading technological nation.

"Germany has done more than any other western country to tap India’s world of business," said Narendra Modi and offered Germany industry a partnership in building a new India. The opportunities, he said, are enormous. The most important thing is to put in place a first world infrastructure. The Indian Prime Minister promised to put in place a pro-investment climate. "India is willing to welcome the entire world with open arms."

Traditional tour

At the start of the Hannover Messe on Monday morning, Chancellor Angela Merkel and India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi toured the exhibition.

Chancellor calls for Germany companies in India to be treated equally

After their tour, at a bilateral Indo-German Business Summit, the Chancellor called for equal treatment for German companies in India and a more favourable business environment.

Angela Merkel stressed that she had made it clear to the Indian government what is important to German politicians and German industry. "And that is that German companies are treated in the same way as local industry" – with equal access to public contracts and the awarding of licenses and with the same legal framework conditions. In this context she praised the reforms launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The Chancellor declared that the German government will be endeavouring to remove any remaining hurdles on the German side. Germany not only wishes to invest more in India, but is interested in seeing more Indian companies in Germany.

Modi announces large-scale infrastructure projects

Prime Minister Narendra Modi pledged pro-business reforms, as he had announced at the opening of the trade fair, and pointed to economic growth rates that top seven per cent. Steps have also been taken to liberalise the insurance and banking sector, he said.

His government not only wishes to put in place reliable conditions for investment, but is also planning massive infrastructure projects, he announced. There are plans to build tram networks in almost 50 cities, for instance. And rails are to be laid for high-speed train connections between major Indian cities.

"There is still a great deal of scope for stepping up economic relations," said Narendra Modi in view of the fact that Germany is only the eighth largest investor on the Indian sub-continent.

The Hannover Messe is the world’s most important showcase for industry. It is held every spring at Hannover’s exhibition centre, which is the largest in the world. The 2015 Hannover Messe will be taking place from 13 to 17 April. Core themes are industrial automation and IT, power transmission and control, energy and environmental engineering, industrial subcontracting, production engineering and services, and research and development.

Political talks in Berlin

On Tuesday Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be visiting Berlin. Chancellor Angela Merkel will welcome him with military honours at the Federal Chancellery before the two heads of government discuss bilateral relations, and global and regional issues.

Bilateral relations

In May 2011 Chancellor Angela Merkel and the then Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh held the first Indo-German government consultations in New Delhi. The year of Germany, which was celebrated in India from late 2011 to early 2013, marked an important milestone in Indo-German relations. It commemorated 60 years of diplomatic relations and was held under the banner "Germany and India 2011-2012 – Infinite Opportunities".

India’s economy
With a population of 1.2 billion and an economy that is still growing at a rate of 4.7 per cent, India is one of the world’s largest and most rapidly expanding economies. The country is forecast to be not only the world’s most populous country by the middle of this century. After China and the USA it is expected to have the third highest GDP on the planet.