From framework to collaboration: Indo-German Digital Dialogue at Nagarro's Flo Conference

Nagarro, with its large team in Gurugram, was a fitting host for the discussion. As a company with both German and Indian roots, it shows what the bridge between the two economies can look like in practice.

The discussion opened with a video message from State Secretary Jarzombek, who underlined that the India-Germany relationship rests on a strong foundation. The two countries already have a solid framework for cooperation, including the Indo-German Digital Dialogue, established in 2017, and the Indo-German AI Pact. The task now is to bring the cooperation to life.

Dialogue that leads to doing

The Indo-German Digital Dialogue convenes governments, business associations and companies, and helps to create opportunities for collaboration – such as the “AI for Mittelstand” Working Group that fosters Indo-German collaboration on industrial AI.

Recently, the working group organised a roadshow through Germany. 25 Indian AI SMEs met with German companies, which resulted in concrete ideas for cooperation and pilot projects. Demand is real on both sides: German SMEs are looking for practical, scalable AI solutions to stay competitive, and Indian AI companies are looking for customers and partners in Germany.

Trust is central to building industry partnerships

The business voices on the panel showed why this trust-building work matters.

Reinhold von Ungern-Sternberg, representing the German Association of Small and Medium-Sized Businesses (BVMW), stated that many German SMEs are considering digital solutions for their customers, but need a foundation of trust to consider new partnerships and markets. Bringing companies together in person is a key way to make progress. This was added to by Manas Human, co-founder and CEO of Nagarro. According to him, confidence in legal systems is also important, as integrating into new markets does also require trust in regulation. A practical example was provided by Deepak Tripathi of Deutsche Börse India and SimCorp India, who succeeded in India based on an openness to the new market.

The next phase: deepening partnerships

The panel closed with a shared message. The next phase is about connecting existing frameworks, following up on promising company partnerships, and making sure that political agreements create opportunities for businesses. For the Indo-German Digital Dialogue, the aim is simple: make it easier for an Indian tech company to find the right German partner, and for a German SME to find the right Indian technology solution.

Nagarro and other companies are invited to engage with the AI for Mittelstand Working Group and help shape its next phase, in particular by bringing forward concrete business challenges and use cases.