November in Brisbane
on the sidelines of G-20 Summit Hoping to give his dream initiative 'Make in India'
a big push, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will jointly inaugurate the Hannover Fair
- world's largest industrial fair - with German Chancellor Angela Merkel on
April 12. India
as country partner will see 350 enterprises from here. The annual Hannover
Fair, from April 13-17, had China
and Russia
as counter partners. It has chosen India
as the partnering country this year following growing interest of German
investors and enterprises in South Asia's
biggest country. The Indian government is hoping to boost its manufacturing sector
to give fillip to the economic growth and Germany with its phenomenal success
in manufacturing would be key to fulfilling this country's requirements,
official sources told ET. In France,
deals for Rafale fighter jet and missile that will be jointly co-produced in India besides
expediting nuclear power plant at Jaitapur would top the agenda. Besides
additional investments from France
- which increased by $1 billion to touch $19 billion last year - would be on
the agenda, officials indicated. France which has mastered expertise
in high-speed railway is also keen to explore the Indian market. Climate change
issues will also figure during the trip ahead of the big summit in Paris later this year. The
Canada
leg of the visit would see focus on early conclusion of Comprehensive Economic
Partnership Agreement, supply of uranium and hydrocarbon, increasing Canadian
investments and bilateral trade. German officials said that India was
chosen as a partner at Hannover Fair due to its fast-growing economy and the many
years of good relations between German and Indian enterprises. Last year's
Hannover Fair attracted the participation of 122 exhibitors and 2,400 visitors
from India.
Modi is keen on tapping Germany's
expertise in the manufacturing sector and heavy engineering. He has referred to
the need for collaboration with the European power in both public and private
meetings. This was a key element in the talking points when Modi met Merkel
last.