IGEP represents the German Federal State of Schleswig-Holstein in India on behalf of WTSH-Business Development and Technology Transfer Corporation of Schleswig-Holstein. Among all German federal states Schleswig-Holstein is a competent partner to ensure access to the European market, as its unique position between the North and the Baltic Sea enables it to act as a bridge from the western countries to Scandinavia as well as to the Baltic countries, Russia and Eastern Europe. Schleswig-Holstein has the second lowest trade tax in Germany. Additionally, low wage costs and moderate real estate and land prices in combination with a modern funding landscape makes Schleswig-Holstein a very attractive investment destination in Germany. In Schleswig-Holstein, 99% of the companies are small and medium-sized companies with fewer than 250 employees. This rate is well above the national average in Germany. Being an SME- based economy, Schleswig-Holstein is not only particularly innovative, but also less susceptible to fluctuations in the economy. Many of the medium-sized companies in Schleswig-Holstein specialize in niche segments, are internationally successful and many of them bear the tag of “hidden champions”. Companies in the state broadly fall in the following sectors - medical technology, the maritime and food industry, information and communication technology, mechanical engineering, renewable energies and the health industry. IGEP acts as a bridge for these companies to the large Indian market. Many of these companies have availed IGEP’s services to get to know more about India through market research reports prepared by us as well as using our broad range of services to enter the Indian market. Many of these companies have now established themselves successfully in India.
IGEP represents the Federal State of Hamburg in India through its representation of the State Ministry of Economic Affairs, Transport and Innovation of the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg. Hamburg is the second largest city in Germany with a population of approx. 2 million. It is one of the most culturally diverse cities in Germany which as a strong trading history having been part of the Hanseatic League. Its international importance can be gauged by the fact that it hosts diplomatic consulates of over 100 countries. The Hamburg port is the 2nd largest port in Europe after Rotterdam. It is the gateway port to the world for many countries in Central Europe, the Baltics as well as Russia. Another facet about Hamburg is that it is a major centre for development and assembly for the Airbus company. The final assembly of the popular Airbus models such as A318, A319, A320 and A321 takes place in Hamburg. One of the world’s largest mail order companies, Otto Versand also has its headquarters in Hamburg. IGEP has organized the visits to India of several business and ministerial level delegations from Hamburg to India. These visits have been organized in close coordination with various States Governments in India, Ministries of the Govt of India as well as the various national and state level business chambers. These visits include organizing B2B events to explore business tie-ups with Indian companies, meetings with central and state ministries, signing of MoUs, visits to industrial zones as well as cultural visits and events.
IGEP has been working with the German company Merck since 2013 and is responsible for their quality, social and environmental standards of their suppliers in India. This involves unannounced monthly inspections to check and verify the working standards in mica mines and at the respective processors. During these visits, IGEP monitors productivity and occupational safety as well as adherance to compliance with social and environmental standards. IGEP also facilitates organizing workshops to the workers on workplace health, hygiene and safety. IGEP also organizes frequent medical camps for the health and safety the workers and their families.
Gems & Jewellery sector constitute a significant part of the export revenue of India. To reinforce the sector for its requirement of trained manpower, IGEP has signed a cooperation agreement with the Gems and Jewellery Export Promotion Council (GJEPC). IGEP helped in the launch of JPDC (Jewellery Product, Design and Development Center ) and its members in Jhandewala. JPDC is one of the first premier Jewellery designing institutes in India that has been serving the Indian germs and jewellery industry by developing professionals in the field of not only jewellery designing but also jewellery manufacturing, gemmology, diamond grading and retailing. IGEP also helped facilitate in the setting up of similar instates in Mumbai, Jaipur, Surat, Chennai and Banaras . IGEP also facilitated to make available qualified and experienced German experts under CIM/GTZ to provide guidance in the design of the curriculum of courses which included several short term and long term diploma courses. Additionally, the experts also provided guidance to support the setting up of necessary infrastructure such as setting up of the Jewellery Workshop, Design Room, Identification of Machinery/Equipment, Tools etc. Direct marketing was supported through in house courses and contacts with foreign buyers . A key role in this contexts was played by the leading trade fairs like Basel, Munich, Zurich etc.
IGEP signed an MoU with ACMA in 1995 for the promotion of Indian automotive parts industry and help facilitate their integration in the highly competitive European automobile OEM supply chains. ACMA is the apex body representing the interest of the Indian auto component Industry. Its membership of over 800 manufacturers contributes more than 85 % of the Indian auto component industry's turnover in the organised sector. IGEP facilitated the participation of several ACMA member companies in various automotive trade fairs in Germany. During these fairs IGEP facilitated the organization of B2B meetings with European automobile OEMs and Tier 1 suppliers. To give an example, IGEP and the Automotive Component Manufacturers' Association (ACMA) organized a joint participation in the world-renowned automotive parts and technology fair - Automechanika - 2000, in Frankfurt Germany. The joint participation in the Indian pavilion consisted of 57 Indian automotive component manufacturers. It was one of the first major participation by a group of Indian auto parts manufacturers in the European Union. IGEP was responsible for the promotion of the Indian automotive parts industry and the brand image 'Made in India'. IGEP also organized several promotional events during the fair including pre-fair publicity, press meets and seminars on presenting India as a manufacturing and sourcing base for automotive components. IGEP also organized one-to-one B2B meetings for the 57 Indian participating companies with companies from Germany as well as other countries of the European Union.
IGEP has had a long cooperation partnership with the Council of Leather Exports. In the early 1990s IGEP assisted the Indian leather sector to overcome Germany’s total ban on PCP (pentachlorophenol) which was widely used for leather tanning at that time in India. The PCP ban would have caused a severe set-back to Indian exports of leather goods to Germany. Against this background IGEP started a number of activities by:
As a result of these timely interventions by IGEP, the Indian leather industry avoided a crisis and is now adhering to the new prescribed environment norms. IGEP has also helped the Indian leather industry (consisting of leather footwear, garments and accessories and saddlery) with specialized marketing assistance which including participation in several major international trade fairs in Germany and Italy such as GDS, Riva and SPOGA. Besides winning export orders and customers, these international exposures provided Indian leather exporters with a new found confidence to enhance their capability and productivity and to bring their products in line with global standard. IGEP forged lot of alliances between Indian and German companies special emphasis was given to shoe components were several joint venture have been established (e.g. Wilhelm Textiles for shoe sugar coated inner linings, Kurt O John for soles and heels, Fagus for lasts etc.) IGEP together with FDDI established Design center in Noida. Two German experts were in India for more than six years and developed designs for the international markets. Today especially Agra and Chennai play a leading role in modern design development. IGEP supported leading buyers like Deichmann shoes among others in sourcing from India. The shoe sector was the first one were 1996 a comprehensive social and environmental compliance audit was carried for 24 companies. The system used became the basis for ISES 2020, the world’s first social and environmental minimum standards. From its early beginning IGEP developed a strong cooperation with the Indian shoe manufacturers and especially with the Central Leather Institute (CLRI) in Chennai. Consequently it supported the new leather institute for northern India, the Footwear Design And Development Institute (FDDI) in Noida. In the middle of the 90s IGEP supported the establishment of the chemical testing laboratory of FDDI with the support from the German Government. This was the first laboratory in Asia which received the highly respected certification from the Deutsche Akkreditierungsrat.
The carpet industry in India is a well established and decentralised sector, employing over 2 million rural workers. Indian carpet is highly export oriented with over 90% of the production being exported. Uttar Pradesh is the major centre of carpet industry in India with Bhadohi - Mirzapur –Varanasi, and Agra belt . Among other clusters Rajasthan is gaining importance especially Jaipur. IGEP has had a long association with the Carpet Export Promotion Council (CEPC) to help promote the Indian carpet industry in international markets. IGEP has been involved with the CEPC to improve the necessary legal framework and increase the social and environmental responsibility - with special focus on abolishing child labour - of the carpet exporting companies. These initiatives have benefited local populations, workers and entrepreneurs in the carpet industry as well as importers and foreign buyers. IGEP has helped the CEPC in promotion of Indian carpets in Germany and other EU markets through joint participation in the leading carpet exhibition in Germany – Domotex. By giving a label (Rugmark) which promises that carpets are not made by children it was possible, to avoid a total collapse of the handmade carpet sector in the 90s. This labeling system was worldwide the first voluntary initiative of buyers and suppliers against socially non-compliant products.
Handicraft sector is one of the important earners of foreign exchange and a very large provider of employment in rural and semi-urban areas in India. IGEP Consult has worked closely with the Export Promotion Council of Handicrafts (EPCH) to promote the growth of the Indian handicrafts industry. IGEP’s support has been in the form of marketing, training and product development. In terms of marketing assistance, IGEP has organized several “Indian Pavilions” in major handicrafts and gifts trade fairs in Germany and other European countries such as Cadeaux in Leipzig, Ambiente in Frankfurt and Heim + Handwork in Munich. As a result of these international exposures, Indian handicraft exports have been able to expand their presence globally and have recorded strong growth over the past 3 decades. IGEP was from the beginning involved in establishing a world trade fair for Handicrafts in Delhi which is now taking place twice every year in Greater Noida. Also in the field of design and institution building IGEP took the lead for strengthening the institute for handicrafts in Okhla and Moradabad with the support of German experts. The old tradition of making handicrafts in West Bengal got a push through IGEP's assistance for companies in Calcutta and other parts of the country.
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