D?sseldorf maintains strong economic ties with India.
The Indian market in particular is of particular importance to Messe D?sseldorf. With 9 subsidiaries based in New Delhi and Mumbai, the company organizes 16 trade fairs in India, more than in any other foreign market. As for the fairs taking place in D?sseldorf, a total of 3,688 exhibitors and 129,380 visitors from India participated between 2014 and 2024, making India the third largest non-European country in terms of visitors (after the USA and China) and the fourth largest in terms of exhibitors (after the USA, China and South Korea), further demonstrating the importance of the country for D?sseldorf.
As a recent development, it is worth mentioning that the City of D?sseldorf, in cooperation with the D?sseldorf Chamber of Industry and Commerce (IHK) and Messe D?sseldorf GmbH, have established the Indian Competence Center D?sseldorf (Indien-Kompetenzzentrum D?sseldorf -IKD), which will serve as a central point of contact for all matters related to the Indian market. The center aims to support companies from D?sseldorf and North Rhine-Westphalia in developing and expanding their business activities in India, as well as to assist Indian companies in establishing and doing business in D?sseldorf.
The IKD was officially launched at the end of June at the D?sseldorf Chamber of Industry and Commerce. As the third largest economy in Asia and expected to become the third largest economy in the world by the end of the decade, surpassing Germany and Japan, India is currently one of the fastest growing economies in the world, with growth rates of over 6% expected in the coming years. The country has great potential, especially in sectors such as the digital economy, infrastructure and energy, and is a recognized hub for digital technology and innovation, with an impressive volume of software and IT services exports. In this context, with the creation of the Indian Competence Center, the city and the IHK of D?sseldorf are seeking to develop a strategic relationship with India, thereby strengthening the diversification of both suppliers and customers in the state.
D?sseldorf also maintains strong economic ties with India, in the IT sector. Around 40 Indian companies, including some of the leading companies such as Tata Consultancy Services, Infosys, Wipro and Tech Mahindra, have chosen D?sseldorf as their location and operations. In addition, around 7,000 Indian citizens live in the city, a number that is constantly increasing. From 2023, the City of D?sseldorf has strengthened its cooperation with the Indian state of Karnataka through a cooperation agreement, with the aim of better networking start-ups in the areas of Industry 4.0, digital health and sustainability, as well as attracting a skilled workforce.
It is noted that the volume of bilateral trade between North Rhine-Westphalia and India amounted to around 6 billion euros in 2024, recording an increase of 0.7% compared to 2023. RB-B’s exports to India amounted to 2.8 billion euros (an increase of 4.6%) and imports from India to 3 billion euros (a decrease of 2.6%). At least 200 companies from North Rhine-Westphalia have made investments in India, creating over 100,000 jobs. Foreign direct investment from North Rhine-Westphalia in India amounts to around 4 billion euros.
The information comes from the Office for Economic and Commercial Affairs in D?sseldorf.
