On behalf of Thuringia: WB to Serve as Official Representative on the 2026 Delegation Trip to India
From May 30 to June 6, 2026, Thuringia visited India. Led by Minister President Mario Voigt, a delegation of about 60 people traveled through New Delhi, Hyderabad, and Bangalore—with a clear mission: business, innovation, and skilled workers.
As the official representative of LEG Thüringen, we were there from start to finish.
Here is our look back at a week that was more than just a series of visits.
New Delhi: Building Networks, Attracting Skilled Workers
The kickoff took place in the Indian capital. At the cooperation event with FICCI—the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry—Thuringian companies and institutions presented their strengths in concise pitches. On the other side of the table were their Indian counterparts, ready for substantive discussions.
Together with FICCI, we had the honor of delivering the welcome remarks. It’s a small detail with great significance—because it shows just how seriously the role we play as Thuringia’s representative office in India is taken.
Also in Delhi: a visit to the Goethe-Institut / Max Müller Bhavan. The focus was on the APAL project—a program aimed at recruiting skilled workers that specifically prepares Indian professionals for the German labor market. This is of great strategic importance for Thuringia, which faces a structural shortage of skilled workers.
This is exactly where we focus our operational efforts: We recruit skilled workers and trainees from India— using clear selection criteria and a structured process that leads to successful hiring. You can find more information here.
In her keynote address, Sandra Petersmann, ARD correspondent for South Asia, spoke about India’s economic momentum and the current geopolitical landscape—and what that means, in concrete terms, for German companies and their business decisions in India.
Now on the MDR / ARD Media Library: “Trip to India: Making Connections inHyderabad”
Our colleague Sonjoy Chaudhury speaks on MDR about opportunities, pace, and what German companies really need in India.
“Getting a business plan off the ground takes time in India. And that’s not just because of India—we Germans are also very slow to adapt. But in a rapidly changing society and economy, that’s a necessity. “
Sonjoy Chaudhury,
, VP of Client Relations
Hyderabad: A Hub for IT and Innovation
10 million residents. Over 1,000 international companies in the Cyberabad district alone. One in ten residents works in the IT industry. Today, Hyderabad is one of Asia’s most established technology hubs.
And it was right here that the most historically significant event of the entire trip took place: Thuringia and the Indian state of Telangana signed a partnership agreement —the first official state-to-state partnership between Telangana and a German state, valid for five years. The focus: technology and skilled workers.
Another highlight in Hyderabad: the T-Hub, one of India’s most innovative startup hubs, home to up to 600 active startups. In the coming months, we will open an overseas office there in partnership with LEG Thüringen —as a permanent point of contact for Thuringian companies looking to enter the Indian market.
Also on the agenda: a visit to Bharat Biotech in Genome Valley—one of the world’s leading vaccine manufacturers. This is impressive proof of the high standards at which Indian life sciences companies operate today.
Bangalore: Innovation You Can Touch
The final stop on the trip was Bangalore—India’s Silicon Valley, home to technology companies, startups, and research institutes.
Earlier in the week, at Böllhoff India in Gurgaon, the delegation had seen how a German family-owned company is successfully manufacturing in India. In Bangalore, they saw a different side of German-Indian partnership during their visit to Carl Zeiss India. In a conversation with Managing Director Miguel Gonzalez Diaz and during the subsequent tour, it became clear just how strongly precision technology and innovation connect the two countries.
At the latest FICCI cooperation event at the ITC Windsor, Thuringian companies showcased their expertise—ranging from medical technology to mechanical engineering—and met with Indian partners for concrete B2B discussions.
The visit to SAP Labs India at Innovation Park marked the conclusion of the trip. The delegation split up: While one group explored the Experience Center featuring the latest SAP technologies, the other group toured the fully automated, sustainable S-Market—a supermarket operated entirely on the basis of SAP technologies. In a conversation with Sindhu Gangadharan, Managing Director of SAP Labs India, it became clear once again: Digital transformation in India is not a topic for the future—it is the present.
Also in Bangalore, we signed a cooperation agreement with TÜV Thüringen in the area of skill development—a concrete outcome that will have a lasting impact beyond this trip.
What This Week Means
Delegation trips are valuable when encounters turn into relationships—and relationships turn into business. This trip has shown that India isn’t waiting around. The market is dynamic, decision-makers are approachable, and there is genuine interest in Thuringian technology, precision, and reliability.
This week, we opened doors—for Thuringian companies looking to take the next step. As the official representative of LEG Thüringen in India, it is our mission to keep those doors open.
If you’d like to know exactly what the Indian market can mean for your company, please contact us.
Do you have any questions or would you like to discuss your project with us?
Your contact person
in our company:
Raphael Herberg
Key Account Manager
