Ahmedabad, Jan 12 (IANS) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday urged German companies to make full use of India’s talent, and further strengthen skill, innovation, and industrial linkages.

Addressing the ‘India-Germany CEOs Forum’ in the presence of German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, PM Modi said that India’s talent pool is capable of advancing innovation and productivity in German industry and in recent years, especially in the high-tech sector, skill mobility has increased rapidly.

“In today’s challenging global environment, India is moving forward with over 8 per cent growth. Behind this is not just one reason, but continuous and comprehensive reforms. The private sector is being promoted in every field, whether defence, space, mining, or nuclear energy. Compliance requirements are continuously being reduced, ease of doing business is improving. These efforts have made India today a symbol of growth and optimism for the world,” PM Modi told the gathering.

The India-EU Free Trade Agreement is also soon going to be realised.

“This will open a new chapter for our trade, investment, and partnership. That means, the path is clear for you. I invite German precision and innovation to connect with India’s scale and speed. You can manufacture in India, take full advantage of domestic demand, and export without any obstacles,” he noted.

For his first Asia visit, Chancellor Merz chose India as the destination.

“This reflects India’s central role in Germany’s diversification strategy, and it is a clear signal of Germany’s trust in India. In line with this trust, today we have taken several important decisions. First, we have decided to make this seamless economic partnership limitless. That means, along with traditional economic sectors, strategic sectors will also see deeper cooperation,” said PM Modi.

The world’s two major democratic economies will deepen cooperation in critical and emerging technologies.

“We are mutual partners in semiconductors. Along with this, there are immense possibilities in power electronics, biotech, fintech, pharma, quantum, and cyber. Third, we all have complete clarity that the India-Germany partnership is not only mutually beneficial, but also better for the world. India is moving ahead to become a world leader in green hydrogen, solar, wind, and biofuel,” Prime Minister emphasised.

For German companies, there are great opportunities in manufacturing solar cells, electrolyzers, batteries, and wind turbines.

“Together, we can develop solutions for the world ranging from e-mobility to food and health security. India has an all-inclusive vision for AI, and when Germany’s AI ecosystem connects with it, we can ensure a human-centric digital future,” PM Modi highlighted.

The Chancellor was accompanied by a high-level delegation, including 23 leading German CEOs and industry leaders.

—IANS

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