Roadshow of AI for Mittelstand Working Group brings together Indian and German companies

The AI for Mittelstand Working Group was set up in April 2026 by the German Association for Small and Medium-Sized Businesses (BVMW) and the Indian National Association of Software and Services Companies (Nasscom) under the umbrella of the Indo-German Digital Dialogue. The working group focuses on awareness, partnerships and co-creation of industrial AI. You can find more information on the working group here.

The roadshow put these goals into practice. It created tangible business value for both sides by matching German Mittelstand needs with scalable AI solutions from India, and preparing B2B partnerships and pilot projects. India brings deep AI/IT capabilities and talent, while Germany offers a strong industrial base and a large SME ecosystem – complementarities that are clear and actionable.

A tour to find solutions and to set up collaboration

Site visits encouraged direct exchanges between the Indian delegation and SMEs throughout Germany. Together, they identified the biggest barriers to Indo-German AI cooperation and debated joint solutions.

In several discussions, participants highlighted the value of aligned AI standards, which lower transaction costs for cross-border projects between India and the EU. Working group members on both sides also pointed out that reducing barriers to talent mobility remains a key target when accelerating co-innovation. Enabling experts to move between the EU and India is therefore essential to scale joint AI deployment.

Highlights along the route

Berlin: The working group took part in Bitkom’s AI, Data and Quantum Summit. Nasscom’s president Rajesh Nambiar held a keynote speech about seizing the complementarities between India and Germany. Nasscom then brought together industry leaders from India and Germany to discuss pathways for cooperation, including regulatory alignment for cross-border collaboration. A kick-off session of the roadshow at acatech’s Digital Sovereignty Experience Space introduced the Indian delegation to BVMW partners and to German data spaces relevant for industrial AI

Hamburg/Bremen: At India Day Hamburg and during the visit to Digital Hub Industry (Bremen), members showcased use cases and held targeted networking sessions.

Cologne: At the AI Village of KI-Bundesverband, exchanges focused on SME-ready deployment models and vendor-SME matchmaking.

Munich: The German Indian Business Forum and company site visits, including to Giesecke+Devrient, provided further touchpoints with industry leaders on security, compliance and scaling.

What’s next

The AI for Mittelstand Roadshow introduced 25 Indian AI SMEs to the German Mittelstand ecosystem. Most importantly, the roadshow encouraged dialogue – about opportunities, collaboration potentials but also challenges and barriers to Indo-German AI cooperation. There still is a need to harmonise AI regulation, simplify talent mobility and build mutual trust. As for the latter, the roadshow offered a major step.

Now, the AI for Mittelstand Working Group is already working on the next steps. The EU-India Free Trade Agreement – expected to be signed by the end of the year – will reduce barriers for cross-border trade and incentivize co-innovation. Building on the current momentum, the working group will share practical guidance with participants about moving talent across borders, adapting to regulatory environments and complying with localised data spaces.

Companies and associations interested in upcoming AI for Mittelstand activities can reach the team at digital-dialogues@giz.de.