India, Germany can unlock major opportunities in AI, R&D, green hydrogen: IGCC DG
New Delhi, July 30
India and Germany can unlock significant opportunities in innovation, research and development, artificial intelligence and green hydrogen through deeper collaboration between businesses and startups, Jan Noether, Director General, Indo-German Chamber of Commerce, said.
Speaking to ANI on the sidelines of Indo-German Chamber of Commerce (IGCC) Industry Dialogue 2026, Noether highlighted the growing engagement between the two countries across emerging technologies and clean energy.
He said the IGCC recently hosted a startup competition in Bengaluru that saw participation from around 90 startups, showcasing innovative products and ideas. "... Two days ago we had a startup competition in Bangalore where we had 90 participants, and this competition was really spurred by wonderful, very innovative products...," he said.
Apart from this, Noether highlighted that AI has emerged as a key area of interest in the German Global Capability Centre (GCC) ecosystem.
He said, "AI is a particular topic when it comes to the German GCC setup...," stressing, "There is a cooperation very much geared towards research and development..."
Noether said greater collaboration between the two countries could result in highly competitive projects and innovations. "If the German-Indian partners come together and develop their ideas, the projects and the results of these projects are going to be unbeatable," he said.
He also highlighted green hydrogen as another major area of potential cooperation, particularly given Germany's growing demand for clean energy and India's competitive production capabilities.
"Half of our energy generation comes from renewable energy. We want to enhance the renewable energy sector when it comes to green hydrogen and India is a very strong partner in the pipeline," he said.
He added that Germany's demand for green hydrogen remains substantial and India could play an important role as a supplier due to its competitive production capabilities.
"India produces green hydrogen at a very competitive level, and that is what the Germans are looking at," he said.
According to data from Destatis, Germany's Federal Statistical Office, bilateral trade between India and Germany reached a record USD 33.40 billion in calendar year 2024. India ranked as Germany's 23rd-largest trading partner in 2024. Germany was India's eighth-largest trading partner in 2024-25, improving from 12th place in 2023-24 and 11th in 2022-23.
— ANI
Reader Comments
I'm cautiously optimistic. We've heard similar statements before about collaboration with multiple countries. The real test will be in execution - will German companies set up actual R&D centers in India or just use us as a cost-cutting hub? Still, AI and green hydrogen are areas where India has genuine potential. Let's hope the government on both sides follows through with concrete policy support.
As someone working in the GCC space in Bangalore, I can confirm the German interest is real. The quality of talent here is world-class. But we need better infrastructure - the traffic alone wastes hours that could be spent on innovation. Good to see green hydrogen being highlighted too, that's an area where India's solar capacity gives us a natural advantage. 🇮🇳🇩🇪
"Unbeatable projects" - I'll believe it when I see it. Germans are methodical but slow, Indians are fast but sometimes lack rigor. The combination could be powerful but only if both sides respect each other's work culture. On green hydrogen specifically, we need massive investment in electrolyzer manufacturing if we're serious about being a global supplier. Let's hope our policy makers focus on that.
I'm a PhD student working on green hydrogen and this news made my day! Germany is a leader in energy transition and India has the scale and sunlight for cheap green hydrogen. If this partnership materializes, it could be a win-win. Also great to see Bengaluru highlighted - our startup ecosystem is truly maturing. Fingers crossed! 🤞
Sounds great in theory but I worry about brain drain. If German companies
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