Germany + India Translation Sells New Standard

the magazine on indo-german relations
GERMANY + I NDI A
Dazzling event series starts
in September
TRANSLATI ON SELLS
German novels spark interest
in India
issue no. 1 / aug. 2011 Rs 1 / vol. 52
NEW STANDARD
Indo-German intergovernmental
consultations
EDI TORI AL / j ens urban
ts finally here. After months of preparation, hundreds of
meetings and negotiations, telephone and video confer-
ences, on 23 September we will kick-start our 15-month
series of events Germany and India 2011-2012: Infinite Op-
portunities , and I am really excited about it. Writing about
the many aspects of Indo-German relations as we do in GER-
MAN NEWS is one thing, but having the opportunity to inter-
act with many of the people involved on the spot the heavy
hitters from business and politics, scientists, artists, house
DJs and fashion enthusiasts, in the seven Indian megacities
that we will be touring is something else. In the 60th year
of diplomatic relations between our two countries, we want
to showcase the entire ambit of Indo-German cooperation in
the fields of politics, business, culture, science and educa-
tion. The main focus will be on CitySpaces and solutions
for the challenges facing our ever-growing metropolises. Hi-
manshi Dhawan from the Times of India outlines some of
the highlights for you.
Federal Chancellor Dr Angela Merkel officially inaugurated
the festival during her visit to Delhi on 31 May. But that
was only one topic on a loaded agenda. The visit set a new
milestone in our strategic partnership. Berlin and Delhi
held their first intergovernmental consultations, a format
of comprehensive bilateral negotiations that we had so far
reserved for our close European partners and Israel. The
consultations were a huge step forward and will enhance
our cooperation in the spheres of trade, vocational training,
science and education, renewable energies and defence, to
name just a few. Our joint stint in the United Nations Secu-
rity Council since January 2011, the situation in Afghani-
stan and Pakistan, the fight against terrorism, the dramatic
events in the Arab world, the G20 and climate change were
also high on the agenda. Tanushree Sengupta reports in full
for GERMAN NEWS.
That's politics, some critics might say, but does it material-
ize on the ground? It does! Our bilateral trade is thriving and
there are ever more initiatives and projects between our two
countries. GERMAN NEWS brings you some of the stories.
I
Amitabh Sinha from the Indian Express describes why
Germany and India are a perfect match to foster low car-
bon growth. One case in point is infrastructure. Business
journalist Volker Mller from the Financial Times Deutsch-
land takes a closer look at sustainable solutions in this key
sector. In our economics section, Mr Mller also portrays a
young, but very well-known Indian lady, who took over the
German fashion brand Escada. She brought some of India
Inc's spirit to the company. Her dedicated commitment
saved a lot of jobs. Jobs are needed in Germany and India,
especially highly qualified ones. If India wants to benefit
from its demographic dividend, it needs to train its huge
pool of human resources. Skills development will do the
trick and Germany is very much engaged in this area. Su-
nanda Rao-Erdem gives an insight into some of the ongoing
activities in this field. Did you ever try to read a German
book? In German? Sounds all Greek to you? Not any more.
Christoph Hein from the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung
tells the fascinating story of how German literature gets
translated into Hindi and other Indian languages, e.g. Ma-
layalam. His conclusion: translation sells!
In our science section Narayani Ghanesh from the Times
of India presents a German Research Foundation (DFG)
funded project on how cultural memory, history and belief
systems inf luence the way we deal with disasters. Chetan
Chauhan from the Hindustan Times gives you the back-
ground on the new Indo-German Centre for Sustainability.
When it comes to culture, our bilateral exchange is growing
manifold: Aamir Khan was a member of this years Berli-
nale jury. Max Mller Bhavan engages with contemporary
Indian photography and more and more German galleries
exhibit at the India Art Summit.
Want to know more about other Indo-German joint initia-
tives and projects? I look forward to seeing you at some of
the many upcoming events during the Year of Germany in
India!
Enjoy your read!
BMW7 Series
760Li
750Li
740Li
730Ld
Sheer
Driving Pleasure
JOY REDEFINES
INDULGENCE WITH INNOVATION.
The ultimate statement of refned luxury, the BMW 7 Series, strengthens its benchmark position with innovations like
BMW Navigation System Professional, Rear-view Camera, Rear-seat Entertainment Professional and rear Comfort Seats
with massage function that turn every drive into a relaxing experience. Enjoy TV, radio or your favourite DVD on the largest-in-segment 9.2
high-resolution screens. With the integrated BMW Navigation System Professional and the Rear-view Camera you take the lead in any
direction. Discover the BMW 7 Series and enjoy progressive comfort that surpasses even the highest demands.
For a test-drive or more information contact your local Authorized BMW Dealer or log on to www.bmw.in
JOY IS THE BMW 7 SERIES. THE STATEMENT.
The model, equipment and possible vehicle confgurations illustrated in the advertisement may differ fromthe vehicles supplied in the Indian market.
5 / / / german news / volume 52 / issue no. 1 / august 2011
CONTENT
16 56
Take off: Germany and India 2011 - 2012: Infinite Opportunities Catch on: India Art Summit attracts German galleries
STANDARDS
5
62
62
8
48
60
EDI TORI AL
I MPRI NT
PHOTO CREDI TS
SHOTS
NOTEPAD
COMI NG UP
PORTRAI T
26
A portrait of Megha Mittal, the owner of the German
fashion label Escada, by Volker Mller
YOUNG, ATTRACTI VE AND SUCCESSFUL
ECONOMY
28
34
38
Indian publishing houses envisage German literature for
the indigenous market, by Christoph Hein
Germanys vocational education scheme offers a healthy
mix of theory and practice, by Sunanda Rao-Erdem
Journalist turns chocolatier; Indian track record awakes
German entrepreneurial spirit, by Dorothea Riecker
TRANSLATI ON SELLS
FI LLI NG THE SKI LLS GAP
VI EW FROM THE OTHER SI DE
40
Cultural perceptions of a disaster influence reactions
in its aftermath, by Narayani Ganesh
CULTURES OF DI SASTER
SCI ENCE
44
Climate change poses big challenges, Germany and India
set up a new research centre, by Chetan Chauhan
MI SSI ON SUSTAI NABI LI T Y
CULTURE
50
52
56
58
A German prince made stunning drawings of the
Anglo-Sikh Wars of 1845-46, by Jutta Jain-Neubauer
Fine art and contemporary photography grab attention
of Indo-German cultural exchange, by Raahab Allana
An interview with Bollywood actor Aamir Khan,
by Tanushree Sengupta
India Art Summit attracts more and more German galleries,
by Meera Menezes
DI D YOU KNOW THAT. . .
BEYOND I MAGE
AAMI R STARS I N GERMANY
EYE-CATCHER
POLI TI CS
16
12
First Indo-German intergovernmental consultations held,
by Tanushree Sengupta
Germany and India 2011-2012: Infinite Opportunities
event series begins, by Himanshi Dhawan
NEW STANDARD
GERMANY + I NDI A
18
Delinking mobility from CO
2
emissions presents major
latitude for Indo-German partnership, by Volker Mller
GREATER EFFI CI ENCY, FEWER EMI SSI ONS
22
On the low-carbon growth path, Germany emerged as one
of Indias most trusted partners, by Amitabh Sinha
LOW-CARBON GROWTH
Cover Illustration by Groupe-Dejour.de
12 34
Touch down: first intergovernmental consultations Move on: Indo-German joint initiative to fill the skills gap
/ / / german news / volume 52 / issue no. 1 / august 2011 / / / german news / volume 52 / issue no. 1 / august 2011
SHOTS
9 8
- - -
Untilled space is not implicitly uncultivated. What
might appear like squander resources, artists experience
the same as wealth in open space. Thus, Berlin still
rich of fallow land became a centre for national and
international street artists. One of Berlins wastelands,
embedded in the lively Kreuzberg neighbourhood, has
made its mark by its dazzling paintings on the walls of
adjoining residential buildings. This work was created by
Blu, an Italian street artist, who is known for partly comic-
like, partly monstrous large-scale images on buildings.
GERMAN
STREET ART
/ german street art
l
e
o
s
e
i
d
e
l
/
o
s
t
k
r
e
u
z
/ / / german news / volume 52 / issue no. 1 / august 2011 / / / german news / volume 52 / issue no. 1 / august 2011 9 8
- - -
Countless streetlamps and headlights dress the Avus, one
of Berlins traffic aortas, in illumination at dawn, giving
the 11,9 km-long highway a mystic glow. Andreas Muhs, a
renowned German photographer, took this picture from the
top of the Funkturm tower in March 2011.
11
a
n
d
r
e
a
s
m
u
h
s
/
o
s
t
k
r
e
u
z
SHOTS / german street light
GERMAN
STREET LI GHT
11 10 / / / german news / volume 52 / issue no. 1 / august 2011 / / / german news / volume 52 / issue no. 1 / august 2011
/ text: tanushree sengupta
13
POLI TI CS
NEW
STANDARD
/ new standard
r
e
u
t
e
r
s
nlike the ceremonial routine followed during a visit,
the chancellor got straight to work on arrival. She
was accompanied by four cabinet ministers and high-
ranking officials, five members of the German parliament,
as well as representatives of German business, education
and research organisations. A day before the delegation ar-
rived, Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle f lew in to meet
his counterpart S M Krishna and prepare the ground for
what the chancellor termed a milestone in Indo-German
relations .
Since 2000, Germany and India have had a strategic part-
nership, which takes on a new meaning in 2011 when
Germany and India sit side-by-side for two years as non-
permanent members at the UN Security Council. At the
May 2011 intergovernmental consultations, interlocutors
from Germany and India addressed current regional and
global issues, significantly, strategies at the United Na-
tions Security Council, the global fight against terrorism,
the situation in North Africa and the Middle East, as well
as the G-20.
- - -
On 31 May 2011, as Chancellor Angela Merkels plane touched down at New Delhis international
airport, in many ways it was a visit marked by departures from convention. Foremost among
them the chancellor was leading Germanys first intergovernmental negotiations with India,
a format of comprehensive bilateral negotiations that Germany had so far reserved only for its
close European partners and Israel.
After the meeting, Merkel remarked, We both share
the conviction that we can only live well together if we
truly define global rules in such a way that they are ben-
eficial not only for the industrialised countries but also for
those countries that still have a great potential for further
growth. The consultations proved to be fortuitous, given
the subsequent developments in the Arab world, the start of
NATO-led troops pulling out of Afghanistan and the pros-
pect of an emerging economic downturn.
In her talks with the German media, the chancellor reiter-
ated the respect and high comfort level she has with Indias
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. She spoke of the Indian
leaders tolerant and calm approach to issues and his great
understanding of the world. I think thrice before rejecting
any idea that comes from him , she remarked.
The consultations in New Delhi covered the full range of bi-
lateral relations, beginning with the conventional areas of
trade and education & research, but also extending into ar-
eas like security and defence policy, vocational training,
U
15
d
p
a
POLI TI CS
d
p
a
- - -
Tanushree Sengupta, a communication professional, works at the
German Information Centre in New Delhi.
infrastructure and sustainable energy and environment
technologies. On the sidelines of the intergovernmental
consultations, ministers and senior government officials
accompanying the chancellor held bilateral meetings with
their Indian counterparts. As many as 10 agreements were
signed, one in the economic sphere and nine dealing with
education, research and vocational training.
German transport and urban development minister Peter
Ramsauer who visited India the second time in just over
a month met Indian finance minister Pranab Mukherjee,
minister of shipping G K Vasan and the secretary of road
transport and highways, R S Gujral. The mandate of the
Indo-German Joint Working Group ( JWG) on the Automo-
tive Sector was renewed until 2013 in Ramsauers presence.
Set up in 2009, the JWG has representatives of the German
and Indian automobile industries. Its objective is to inten-
sify cooperation in the development of efficient automotive
technologies and alternate fuels and drives.
Bilateral cooperation in education and research has been
a priority for both countries. Germanys endeavour to fos-
ter excellence in higher education and research and Indias
growing pool of talented young scholars have created a win-
ning synergy. While academic exchange began way back in
1957, with Germany providing technical assistance to set up
the Indian Institute of Technology in Madras (IITM), rela-
tions in the science & technology (S&T) sector have intensi-
fied significantly over the last few years. As part of the May
2011 visit, six research MoUs were formalised.
The Leibniz Association and Indias Department of Science
and Technology (DST) signed an agreement for organising
joint symposiums on frontier areas of science & technol-
ogy. The University of Stuttgart and the newly set up IIT
Mandi penned an agreement to exchange students and fac-
ulty, as also to sponsor seminars and workshops. The Insti-
tute of Materials Physics at the University of Mnster and
the University of Hyderabad launched their cooperation
agreement.
The Helmholtz Association (HGF) and the Indian Council
of Medical Research (ICMR) signed an MoU for biomedical
research, particularly in the field of infectious diseases.
Dresden University of Applied Sciences and the National
Institute of Hydrology, Roorkee formalised an agreement
to establish an Indo- German Competence Centre for Riv-
erbank Filtration (IFCCRBF). DESY, a Research centre of
the Helmholtz Association, and the Saha Institute of Nu-
clear Physics, Kolkata (SINP) signed an MoU on the usage
of PETRA III, one of only four third-generation synchro-
trons in the world. SINP proposes to construct a third-
generation synchrotron in India and access to PETRA III
will mean a quantum leap for Indian scientists in bringing
this project to fruition.
Providing a high level of skill-based training to Indias bur-
geoning working-age population is a challenge that was
brought into focus during Chancellor Merkels visit in May
2011. Both Merkel and Singh stressed on the importance
of sharing knowhow in the field of vocational education.
Singh emphasised, We have a lot to learn from Germanys
experience in vocational training and skill development.
Germanys world renowned system of dual vocational train-
ing a combination of in-the-school and on-the-job
training can prove invaluable for India to effectively capi-
talise on its demographic dividend.
Three agreements on Indo-German cooperation in voca-
tional education and training (VET) were signed at a meet-
ing between German education minister Annette Schavan
and Indias labour minister Mallikarjun Kharge. The main
agreement extends cooperation in VET under the lead-man-
agement of the Indo-German working Group on Vocational
Education and Training.
Another agreement was formalised between iMOVE and the
National Skills Development Corporation (NSDC) in India.
iMOVE is an initiative of Germanys Ministry of Education
and Research (BMBF) to support the export of German vo-
cational education and training. Under the agreement,
German training providers will be involved in the expan-
sion and improvement of Indias vocational education and
training capabilities. iMOVE will support NSDC in promot-
ing private sector initiatives in the field, as well as provide
assistance in setting up Sector Skill Councils. The third
agreement covers cooperation between the Chamber of
Crafts Rhein/Main and Infrastructure Leasing & Financial
Services (IL&FS) in establishing about 100 multi-skill voca-
tional training institutes along the Delhi-Mumbai indus-
trial corridor.
During the consultations, Chancellor Merkel and Prime
Minister Singh reaffirmed that Indo-German bilateral
trade is on course to reach the target of 20 billion euros
per year by 2012. The German business delegation, includ-
ing representatives of the German industry association
(BDI), large German multinationals, as well as its real eco-
nomic growth drivers the SMEs accompanied secretary
of state Hans-Joachim Otto to his meeting with Indian
commerce minister Anand Sharma. While the Indian side
invited higher German investment commitments in infra-
structure, advanced technologies, environment and en-
ergy, the German delegation expressed its hope for further
policy reforms, especially in retail, insurance, defence and
banking.
Transfer of sustainable energy and environment technolo-
gies was another focus area in the talks. Katharina Reiche,
secretary of state in the environment ministry, met the then
Indian environment minister Jairam Ramesh to discuss
international climate change negotiations, possibilities
of cooperation in environment, as well as a future interna-
tional scientific advisory body on biodiversity for which
Germany has offered to host a secretariat. Reiche also met
minister for new and renewable energy Farooq Abdullah to
explore Indo-German initiatives in the renewables sector.
Chancellor Merkels visit, though, was not all hardcore ne-
gotiations. The chancellor was nominated for the Jawaha-
rlal Nehru Award for International Understanding, which
she was awarded by Indian President Pratibha Patil on the
afternoon of 31 May. In her acceptance speech Merkel said,
I regard this award as confirmation that our two countries
have travelled along the right road together. She further
reiterated, Today we can look back on these 60 years of dip-
lomatic relations with gratitude and indeed some pride.
As with all events in India, the chancellors visit rounded
off on a high note of celebrations. On the evening of 31 May,
she inaugurated the Year of Germany in India along with
the speaker of the Lok Sabha, Meira Kumar. The traditional
Indian ceremony of lighting the lamp was followed by an
evening of music by the Young Euro Classic Orchestra and
Indian Dhrupad artists. Preparations are now in the final
stages for the 15-month long festival a German mela of
mobile tents that will travel through Indias seven largest
metropolises New Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Bangalore,
Chennai, Pune and Hyderabad as well as a number of
other cities.
The visit was lean and businesslike, and it laid the ground
for enhancing the strategic partnership between Germany
and India in the years to come. In her concluding remarks
at a joint press conference with Manmohan Singh, Chancel-
lor Merkel said, We would like to support you in achiev-
ing the same degree of prosperity that we have been able to
achieve, in a spirit of partnership.
/ new standard
ivided by seas but united by disappearing spaces.
Spaces are a luxury for a generation that has grown
up in a large metropolis, be it in Delhi or Berlin. Im-
posing malls, glittering billboards and honking cars vie for
attention relegating parks, cultural and creative spaces to
the background. As India gallops towards higher economic
growth and its cities and people struggle to keep up, it is
perhaps only right that it engages with one of its strategic
partners Germany for solutions to better prepare for
this tumultuous urbanisation it is witnessing.
Germany and India have long seen each other as reliable
partners in all fields of bilateral cooperation. This provides
an excellent foundation for both the countries to work as
partners in addressing the issues of the future. One of the
primary objectives of the Year of Germany in India is there-
fore to expand this partnership in all areas.
The collaborative celebration Germany and India 2011-
2012: Infinite Opportunities was jointly inaugurated by
Dr Angela Merkel, Chancellor of the Federal Republic of
Germany, and Smt. Meira Kumar, Speaker of Lok Sabha, in
May this year.
The upcoming 15-month long event series promises to
bring in a fresh perspective to our cities. Germany and
India 2011-2012: Infinite Opportunities will be held in In-
dia from September 2011 to November 2012 and will focus
on the theme StadtRume CitySpaces .
Cities across the world face similar challenges in the use
of spaces and balancing climate change and sustainable
development with the pressure of housing and provision
of amenities. Adding to this is the growing realisation that
rapid urbanisation and the fascination for malls and multi-
plexes is devouring space meant for recreation, community
interaction, cultural events and green spaces.
The projects planned across the period of 15 months
have been created to tackle issues like mobility, energy,
sustainable city development and architecture through
performing, visual arts and science, technical and business
interactions.
Cities are currently home to an estimated 30 per cent of the
Indian population and contribute about 60 per cent to In-
dias total GDP. In the next 20 years these figures will rise
rapidly. It is estimated that 40 per cent of the Indian popu-
lation will be living in cities by 2030, producing as much as
70 per cent of Indias total GDP. This means that in 20 years
time, an estimated 250 million more people will be living in
Indian cities than today.
Rapid urban development presents a number of challenges
both today and for the future. These challenges occur
across areas ranging from practical issues such as efficient
transport infrastructure to water supply and wastewater
disposal, waste management and social issues, to the co-
existence of rich and poor as well as of various religious
groups. This results in new ways of life developing in the cit-
ies and creates numerous opportunities for art and culture.
StadtRume CitySpaces provides a broad and highly
relevant platform of four interdependent thematic fields:
town planning and architecture, mobility and transport,
supplies and infrastructure and culture, society and public
life. The centrepiece of the project is the Mobile Space , a
set of modern multi-purpose pavilions, designed especially
for the Year of Germany in India by renowned German art-
ist Markus Heinsdorff. The pavilions combine state of the
art steel and textile technologies from both countries. The
Mobile Space will be set up for 10 days each in Mumbai,
Pune, Chennai, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Kolkata and New
Delhi and will host interactive presentations by various
German corporations and organisations on topics and so-
lutions related to StadtRume CitySpaces .
The set of pavilions consists of six differently shaped mod-
ules inspired by Indian motifs and symbols, like the Ashok
Chakra. The designers hope that government and non-gov-
ernment organisations can use these pavilions after the
project has been completed. The pavilions will play host to
contemporary cultural performances and conferences with
business partners offering solutions to urban challenges
like effective water management and sustainable energy.
One of the most exciting parts of the programme series is
the A Wall is a Screen project that throws the multiplex-
experience with its popcorn and sanitised surroundings
out of the window to create the magic of movies in every
day life. Cinema in public spaces is a popular concept
in Germany with quiet residential areas or busy market
spaces appended as part of several films. The viewer is no
longer in wilful suspended disbelief but a part of an audio-
visual interaction watching clips screened on a billboard or
a familiar wall, then walking a short distance for the next
segment.
A rare occurrence in Indian cities, reusing old spaces for
dramatically different purposes, is popular in European
cities on the banks of Berlins river Spree, for instance.
Radialsystem V, a turn of the century pumping station for
the citys water services, has been recreated as a cultural
centre, where new ideas radiate in all directions. Inciden-
tally, the Centre is situated in the heart of Berlin between
Friedrichshain, Mitte and Kreuzberg districts.
A vacant kindergarten in East Berlin has been transformed
into a hip design studio, where authors, fashion designers
and photographers brainstorm. A war bunker, reminiscent
of many dying dreams, became home to artists vivid imag-
ination. In India, Mumbai has witnessed a similar trans-
formation in a limited fashion in the industrial district of
lower Parel, where shuttered textile mills have given way to
office spaces, discotheques and malls.
The familiar turning unfamiliar can have a disconcert-
ing effect and a feeling of alienation. One of the projects
explores this fusion through the art installation Its All
Rheydt . The legendary Haus u r by the famous German
artist Gregor Schneider, awarded with the Golden Lion at
the Biennale in Venice in 2001, will be reconstructed by lo-
cal craftsmen and integrated into the Durga Puja Festival
in Kolkata in October 2011. During his 2010 visit to Kolkata,
Schneider was inspired to design a puja pandal that would
incorporate his thematic work Haus u r as well as contain
the ideas of local artisans who make this annual celebra-
tion into trend-setting artistic structures typical of this
festival.
As a foreigner and a sensitive artist, Schneider saw a mys-
terious and unexpected angle to the artistry of the pandal
that housed the idols. In fact, he was prepared to expect
the unexpected in Kolkata and this is the feeling he wants
to convey with his design. He will work in collaboration
with local artisans associated with the Ekdalia Evergreen
Society using locally available materials. Once the Durga
Puja festival is over, parts of this German pandal will be
shipped to Germany and reconstructed for exhibition there.
If the Its All Rheydt project weaves old-world tradition
with new sustainable materials, then India goes 3D rep-
resents the pulsating youth and their shared passion for
electronic music. Electronic music artists from India and
Germany will perform in Bangalore, Mumbai and New
Delhi between November 2011 and February 2012.
Germany and India 2011-2012: Infinite Opportunities is
being initiated by a unique private public partnership
including the German Federal Foreign Office, the Goethe-
Institute, the Asia-Pacific Committee of German Business
(APA) and the German Federal Ministry of Education and
Research. The project is managed by the Goethe-Institute
New Delhi (Max Mueller Bhavan). Amongst the corporate
partners of the project are companies such as Bajaj Allianz,
BASF, Bosch, Deutsche Bank and Siemens.
- - -
Himanshi Dhawan is an assistant editor with the Times of India,
and participated in the Berlin-Young Metropolis visitor s pro-
gramme in June 2011 on the invitation of the German government.
POLI TI CS / germany + india
Germany + India
- - -
Germany and India 2011-2012: Infinite Opportunities the so titled 15-month long
event series in India strives to showcase the whole spectrum of 60 year long Indo-German
partnership and further opportunities
/ text: himanshi dhawan
D
19
d
p
a
POLI TI CS
- - -
Volker Mller is a Delhi based business journalist and runs the cor-
respondent office German Press India. He reports about the Indian
economy regularly for leading German publications, including Die
Welt, Financial Times Deutschland, WirtschaftsWoche, Capital
and Spiegel Online.
- - -
India is growing at a rapid pace. Sustainable solutions
that delink economic growth from energy consumption are
needed for the new infrastructure that will be built.
/ text: volker mller
rates and sacks piled all over, the ground strewn
with wilted salad leaves and squashed cartons. The
frenetic voices of the traders, loaders rushing to and
fro this is the Azadpur Mandi wholesale market in north-
west Delhi, one of the lifelines of the Indian capital. Thou-
sands of tons of fresh fruits and vegetables are traded here
every day. The produce is largely delivered by trucks from the
surrounding hinterland: from Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and
Punjab. It is quite a scene.
Less than two thirds of the products from the fertile plains
in northern India actually reach Delhis wholesale market.
The packaging is frequently inadequate, the trucks more of-
ten than not in a sorry condition and transportation over
bumpy roads takes far too long. It is not rare for a stretch of
50 km to take five hours. What you end up getting in the
truck is tomatoes on top, puree in the middle and ketchup
at the bottom, says Vishal Sehgal, Head Corporate Rela-
tions at the wholesaler Metro. Up to 40 per cent is no longer
saleable.
According to experts, the countrys infrastructure is seldom
able to keep up with the furious pace of economic growth.
In India the average speed of a truck is 32 km/h as com-
pared to 97 km/h in Western Europe or the United States,
observes a study by the economic research institute ICRIER.
Despite this, the bulk of inland logistics is borne by roads.
65 per cent of all goods are transported by trucks, while the
railways account for most of the rest.
The situation is similar for passenger traffic, where private
passenger vehicles now account for 85 per cent. The share of
buses and railways is steadily declining. In response to this,
the Indian government has been focusing on building more
roads. In fact, over 10 years ago the government presented
a masterplan for an efficient highway network. Indias road
network has now grown to be the second largest in the world,
next only to that of the USA.
However, the condition of roads and vehicles and the in-
crease in freight and individual traffic are cause for grow-
ing concern. With rising prosperity there has also been a
dramatic increase in CO2 emissions. India is currently the
fifth largest emitter of greenhouse gases. In about five years,
it will advance to third position behind the United States
and China. Therefore, more emphasis will be laid on public
transport in urban agglomerations. According to the Indian
government, every city with a population of over three mil-
lion should have a metro system. The technical and opera-
tional benchmark is the metro system in the capital Delhi.
This sophisticated system has changed the perception of
public transportation in India and was built, among oth-
ers, by German companies. Munich-based Dywidag In-
ternational, a subsidiary of the Austrian Strabag group,
constructed key tunnel sections, while the rail technology
division of Bombardier in Brandenburg supplied a majority
of the metro cars.
The operator consortium selected Munich-based technology
multinational Siemens as partner to build a further metro
track section in the upcoming industrial and administrative
hub of Gurgaon. They understood our requirements best,
and were in a position to offer the right technical solution,
says Sanjiv Rai, head of Rapid Metro Rail Gurgaon. Accord-
ing to him, Siemens offers first-rate technology, has had a
local presence for years and comes with excellent references.
Supporting India in developing efficient and environmen-
tally sound structures is also one of the objectives of the Ger-
man federal government. Peter Ramsauer, Federal Minister
of Transport, Building and Urban Development, underlined
Germanys considerations recently in April during a visit to
Delhi, In addition to transport, building and urban devel-
opment, I see external economic relations as one of my main
responsibilities as a federal minister. Germany is a world
champion in logistics and a world leader in the construction
of infrastructure as well as in energy-efficient technologies
in the transportation sector. We are keen on sharing these
technologies with our partners in India.
He particularly singled out the automotive industry in this
regard. During the third meeting of the Indo-German Joint
Working Group (JWG) set up in 2009, in which automobile
manufacturers of both countries are represented, Ramsauer
turned the spotlight on sustainable technologies. He said
that the German Government was specifically promoting
electric mobility, which was also an area of focus to further
intensify cooperation between the two countries. Germany
is a strong supporter of electric mobility. Currently, there
are about 1,500 electric automobiles in service on German
roads. By 2020, Germany aims to have at least one million
electric vehicles operating on the roads, Ramsauer said.
That should suit India just fine. Mahindra Reva, one of the
pioneers in electric passenger cars, is based in Bangalore in
south India. It is now the largest supplier of its kind in the
world.
c
/ greater efficiency, fewer emissions
Greater eciency,
fewer emissions
23
d
p
a
POLI TI CS
- - -
India and Germany make an almost perfect demand-supply match.
/ text: AMITABH SINHA
ndia is already the fourth largest emitter of green-
house gases in the world. With the kind of develop-
ment challenge it is faced with, it needs to grow at
breakneck speed over the next 2-3 decades to ensure
decent living standards for hundreds of millions of
its people. It aims to build many more roads, power
plants, industries, ports and other infrastructure in the next
few years than any other country in the world. All this would
mean that Indias greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, if not
restrained wisely, would soar exponentially in the coming
years, a situation that is dangerous not just for India but for
the rest of the world as well.
I NDIAS LOW-CARBON GROWTH PATH
To embed the low-carbon strategy into the financial plan-
ning process, India set up a task force last year to suggest
policies for the next five-year period beginning 2012. The in-
terim report of this task force has just been submitted. This
report projects Indias total GHG emissions in the year 2020
to be double that of 2005 levels. Significantly, this report
concludes that during this time, India can easily bring down
its emission intensity by 30-32 per cent compared to 2005 lev-
els, which is more than what India has targeted for. With a
little more effort, and some international help in terms of
access of finance and technology, India can cut its emission
intensity by over 40 per cent.
I NTERNATI ONAL COOPERATI ON
It is in this requirement of international finance and tech-
nology that Germany is playing a big role and has emerged
as one of Indias most trusted partners. Germany is a world
leader in the use of renewable energy. Nearly 17 per cent of
its electricity is now produced by renewable energy. Out of
the total electricity production of about 600 billion kwH in
Germany in 2010, wind turbines, hydroelectric plants, solar
cells and biogas digesters together contributed as much as
100 billion kwH. This ratio is headed further upwards as the
German government, after announcing a suspension of op-
erations at its nuclear power plants in the wake of the Fu-
kushima disaster in Japan, unveiled an ambitious expansion
plan for the renewable energy sector.
Similarly, German technology is known to be one of the
cleanest and most energy efficient. Globally, between 30 to
40 per cent of all patent applications for energy-efficient
technologies reportedly were filed by German individuals
and companies. India and Germany, therefore, make an al-
most perfect demand-supply match. India needs to take ur-
gent measures to ensure that its rapid economic growth is
delinked from greenhouse gas emissions and Germany is an
ideal partner in helping it achieve its objective.
GERMANY I N I NDIA
India and Germany have a rich history of scientific collabo-
ration. Joint projects and cooperation in research have been
going on for the last 60 years. With climate change becoming
a global concern, there has been, of late, a lot of emphasis
on low-carbon projects, focused mainly around two areas
renewable energy and energy efficiency. Almost all of these
projects are being executed through the Deutsche Gesell-
schaft fr Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH on
the German side. GIZ came into being in January this year by
merging German Technical Cooperation (GTZ) which has
/ low- carbon growth
LOW-CARBON
GROWTH
To avoid such a scenario, it becomes imperative for India to
embark on a low-carbon growth strategy that will harmonise
its 9-10 per cent projected economic growth rates with the
need to rein in greenhouse gas emissions. In the run-up to
the Copenhagen climate change conference in December
2009, India said its target would be to cut its carbon inten-
sity the amount of carbon dioxide released per unit of GDP
produced by at least 20 per cent by the year 2020 from 2005
levels. It has come out with a National Action Plan on Cli-
mate Change that outlines present and future policies to
control the growth of emissions in eight different sectors.
These eight missions are currently under different stages
of implementation.
been present in India for long with German Development
Service (DED) and Capacity Building International, Germany
(Inwent). We have one of our biggest operations in India.
Low-carbon is the motto for GIZ and our work in India is fo-
cused around energy, environment, economic and sustain-
able development, said Stefan Helming, country director
of GIZ in India. On the Indian side, the projects are being
executed by government agencies like the Bureau of Energy
Efficiency and the Central Electricity Authority, both under
the Ministry of Power or the Indian Renewable Energy Devel-
opment Agency (IREDA), which is under the Ministry of New
and Renewable Energy.
I NDIA-GERMANY ENERGY PROGRAMME
Commissioned by the German Federal Ministry for Eco-
nomic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), the broad man-
date for this programme is to help India in implementing its
Energy Conservation Act that came into being in 2001. This
programme, which has several components, has been run-
ning since 2003 with the objective of achieving greater effi-
ciency in all forms of energy use be it oil, gas, coal or even
renewable sources. About 400 million are being invested
every year in the programme, which is slated to run till 2013.
A major initiative of this programme is to replace millions of
incandescent light bulbs with energy-saving CFL. The CFLs
are being distributed to households at a subsidised price of
Rs 15 each. The interesting part of this exercise is that the en-
ergy thus saved is being sold in the form of carbon credits in
carbon markets under the Clean Development Mechanism
(CDM). This is how the differential amount between the cost
of a CFL and the price at which it is being distributed is be-
ing made up. This is a one-of-a-kind and the first large pro-
grammatic CDM in the world, said Ajay Mathur, director
general of the Bureau of Energy Efficiency that is executing
the project on the Indian side. About 20 million bulbs have
already been replaced. The whole of Kerala has switched over
to CFLs. Karnataka and Punjab are likely to switch over in
the next two months. The programme is in various stages of
implementation in 20 other cities in the country, Mathur
said. The savings in terms of avoided greenhouse gas emis-
sions is huge, of the order of several thousand tonnes of car-
bon dioxide equivalent.
Another project that has huge potential to save energy is the
introduction of tri-generation technology in large buildings
and industrial installations. A German technology, trigener-
ation is about getting three results from a single fuel input.
Traditional power plants release the waste heat into the en-
vironment. In a trigeneration plant, however, this waste
I
CO2-free coal power pilot plant in Germany, Brandenburg
25
heat is utilised for cooling and heating purposes. Trigen-
eration ensures about 33 to 80 per cent savings in energy con-
sumption. As a pilot project, this technology is being set up
in the JP trauma centre at the All India Institute of Medical
Sciences where a gas-based power plant is being installed,
said Dr Anant Shukla, a senior technical expert with GIZ,
who is involved with this project. The recently opened luxu-
rious Leela hotel in New Delhi has also installed the technol-
ogy, and so have a number of other buildings.
On the renewable energy front also, several projects are un-
der implementation. A prominent one is being carried out
in some villages in Chhattisgarh and Maharashtra, where
people are being taught to produce clean electricity from
jatropha oil. Nothing comes out as waste from this process,
with the last product being used as fertilizers. Test runs have
been going on for the last two months and electricity genera-
tion is likely to start very soon. This is not just about elec-
tricity production through environment friendly processes.
It is also about community participation, social engineer-
ing and giving the local people a stake in their own devel-
opment. This is a do-it-yourself kind of experiment in which
people from 4-5 villages, what we call clusters, have to get
together to set up and run the plant, which will ensure full-
time electrification of their villages, said Anurag Mishra,
who is working on this project.
Germany is also helping India in implementing its ambi-
tious Solar Mission, one of the eight missions under the Na-
tional Action Plan on Climate Change. The main inhibiting
factor in popularising solar power is its cost. It is very expen-
sive compared to other traditional sources of energy. But in
some places, harnessing solar energy can not only be com-
petitive in terms of price but also turn out to be a cheaper
option. An example of this is the telecom towers in remote
areas. They run on fuel-guzzling diesel generator sets and
sometimes more than one are located in the same complex,
all running separately and consuming large amounts of en-
ergy. Solar power is abundant in these areas and if the cost
of transporting and storing the fuel is considered, then solar
power actually turns out to be a cheaper alternative, Mishra
said. Mishras team is now doing an exercise to hunt similar
areas where solar power can be an economical source of en-
ergy. Top five industry sectors would be identified and sug-
gested for a switch over to solar energy. Simultaneously, a
solar mapping exercise is also on, to categorise areas on the
basis of the solar energy they receive.
Apart from such capacity building and technology demon-
stration exercises, Germany is also supporting financially
the upgrade of the renewable energy sector in India. Re-
cently, the German government-owned development bank
Kf W signed a 200 million worth loan agreement with
IREDA. This was the fourth such line of credit opened by
Kf W with IREDA for the promotion of renewable energy.
CARBON BAZAAR
At the initiative of the German Federal Ministry for Environ-
ment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety, India and
Germany are organising Carbon Bazaar for the last two
years, providing a platform for businesses to prospect op-
portunities in low-carbon technologies in India. The Bazaar
is turning out to be an effective way of establishing direct
linkages between different stakeholders in the energy sec-
tor, all towards the overall aim of reducing the carbon foot-
print of economic activities. Another similar initiative was
the annual Indo-German Environment Forum, which brings
together industry leaders, government agencies, non-gov-
ernment organisations and other stakeholders together at a
conference. Being organised for the last two years, the en-
vironment forum has established itself as a useful platform
for policy makers to debate and discuss an environmentally
sustainable roadmap for the country.
A FRUI TFUL PARTNERSHI P
Ajay Mathur of BEE says the reason Germany is such a suc-
cessful partner for India is its ability to adapt and custom-
ise solutions for Indian conditions and requirements. The
Germans invest a lot in capacity building. And they are very
flexible in their approach. If it is discovered that the chal-
lenge is x and not y as was thought earlier, they are not afraid
to change in response to the changed situation. That is why
they are such good partners and agenda drivers in many
cases, he said.
Stefan Helming of GIZ says the overall agenda for both In-
dia and Germany matches. Therefore, there are immense
possibilities for cooperation. India has a very good knowl-
edge base and there is a keen interest in getting things done.
There is a huge commitment from the government side. On
our part, we would love to scale up our activities and proj-
ects, if more funding is available. Helming points out some
recent initiatives in Indias North East through this collabo-
ration, This is about adapting to climate change. Each of
the participating states is developing an action plan on how
people are affected by climate change, and what needs to be
done. Assam, Sikkim, Meghalaya and Nagaland are partici-
pating in this project and the Department of North Eastern
Region is our partner in the exercise, he said.
POLI TI CS
- - -
Amitabh Sinha is a Special Correspondent with The Indian Ex-
press. He writes on issues related to science and technology, cli-
mate change and environment, amongst others.
/ low- carbon growth
/ source: low carbon strategies for inclusive growth,
interim report, may 2011
/ source: low carbon strategies for inclusive growth,
interim report, may 2011
Transport Electricity Cement Waste Residential Other
Manufacturing
Industries
Iron & Steel Other
Energy
Industries
1.9% 2.0% 3.8% 4.4% 4.5% 5.6% 6.0% 7.3%
3% 6% 7% 7% 9% 12% 18% 38%
I NDI A S EMI SSI ON STRUCTURE
Emissions Distribution in per cent and in MT CO2
equivalent across sectors (2007)
Other
Manufacturing
Industries
Other
Energy
Industries
Agriculture Electricity Transport Cement Iron & Steel Waste
165.31 238.71 334.41 719.31 142.04 129.92 117.32 57.73
I NCREASE I N EMI SSI ONS
Compound annual growth rate (CAGR)
of GHG emissions across sectors (1994-2007)
d
p
a
,
i
n
f
o
g
r
a
p
h
i
c
s
b
y
g
r
o
u
p
e
-
d
e
j
o
u
r
.
d
e
PORTRAI T
lamorous, his outfit certainly isnt, not even overtly
stylish. It is a rather business-like mouse-coloured
attire. Christian Gerloff, former insolvency admin-
istrator of Escada AG, stands somewhat unobtrusively on
the sidelines during the opening of a store on Munichs
chic Maximilian Street. He downs his glass of champagne
and glances across at Megha Mittal, the new owner of the
fashion label. Her hands shook when she handed me the
purchase offer, Gerloff remarks casually. The offer was ru-
moured at 70 million.
For Escada it was hitting the jackpot; for the Mittal fam-
ily it was more like a minor investment. The familys as-
sets are estimated at over 20 billion. Critics called it
play-money, a mere diversion for a rich but bored woman.
Even if Megha Mittal recently turned 34 wanted to be
taken seriously, she fitted the clich perfectly: married at
22 into the worlds fifth richest family, her father-in-law the
founder and controlling shareholder of the steel giant Ar-
celor Mittal, husband, Aditya, the Groups chief financial
officer, she herself a mother of two with barely a years work
experience. Compulsion to work: nonexistent.
Escadas development tells a different story. In 2010 the
fashion label was able to maintain its turnover despite
dropping prices. Earnings were back in the black. Its stores
and product line now sport a younger look and the com-
pany will employ 100 new staff in the current year just 18
months after it filed for insolvency. 2010 went off well for
us, better than we had planned. Escada is back in the run-
ning. I am proud of this turnaround, says Mittal.
Escada was never intended as a pleasant diversion or oc-
cupational therapy for a woman in search of an identity.
There is a very strong work ethic both in my family and
in my husbands. My mother always worked and so did my
mother-in-law. That is how I have always known it. Her ad-
vantage: there are many more opportunities open to her.
Three years ago I came to the conclusion that my interest
lay in fashion and I suggested acquiring a fashion brand to
my husband and my father-in-law.
She seems to have managed the balancing act of setting the
direction for the fashion house without losing herself in
the details. While successful entrepreneurs such as hotelier
P.R.S. Oberoi still involve themselves in deciding the colour
of each f lower vase in each room, Mittal merely watches,
keeps herself informed, but relies on the competence of her
employees. Sometimes I steal into the design department,
simply because I am curious. But I dont interfere.
In any case, Mittal found a kindred spirit in chief execu-
tive Bruno Slzer. The former CEO of rival Hugo Boss and
the new owner are both driven by the ambition of making
Escada what it was in the 80s the dominant global com-
pany for exclusive womens fashion. The latest expansions,
however, reveal that it need not remain just that. In 2012,
the first mens collection will hit the market. Niche prod-
ucts like bed linen will be available by this year itself. You
know , says Mittal matter-of-factly, I always want more.
The Mittal family has been living in London for many years
and is involved in social causes. The emotional attachment
to their home country India has remained intact. Megha
was born in Calcutta and her parents own a yarn factory in
Hyderabad. So will Escada venture into the subcontinent?
The market there is growing slowly in our segment. Escada
currently has no presence there, not yet. We will start at the
right time, says Mittal. She is reticent, doesnt want to cre-
ate a hype about ideas that are not yet concrete.
Even today, at Escada parties and fashion shows she re-
mains conspicuously inconspicuous. Others can strut like
peacocks: her present and potential customers who simply
want to f launt their wealth. Mittals style is simple: occa-
sionally a high-neck top with a knee-length skirt, some-
times a dress with a discreet design. She doesnt wear nail
polish or ostentatious jewellery. Insolvency administra-
tor Gerloff must have sensed it two years ago: Mittal is no
fashion victim with cash to spare. She is ready to roll up her
sleeves. With her, Escada will be in good hands.
/ young, attractive and. . . successful
a
r
c
e
l
o
r
m
i
t
t
a
l
- - -
A year and a half ago Megha Mittal acquired
the bankrupt fashion house Escada. It was
the best thing that could have happened to
the German company.
- - -
Volker Mller is a Delhi based business journalist and runs the cor-
respondent office German Press India. He reports about the Indian
economy regularly for leading German publications, including Die
Welt, Financial Times Deutschland, WirtschaftsWoche, Capital
and Spiegel Online.
Megha Mittal rescued the German
luxury fashion label Escada
Young,
attractive and...
successful
/ text: volker mller
G
29
TRANSLATION
SELLS
- - -
More and more German literature gets translated into Hindi and Malayalam.
/ text: christoph hein
n his 37-year career as a publisher in New Delhi, Pramod
Kapoor has missed just one book fair in Frankfurt.
That was in the year when I launched Indias first Sun-
day newspaper. It was simply not possible then, recalls the
founder of Roli Books, who religiously continues to travel
to Frankfurt every October. Its all one big family there
and we are part of it, says the publisher who is known
primarily for his large-format coffee table books. Over the
years we have built up our own network. He hasnt needed
agents for buying or selling titles. While the majority of his
Indian colleagues focus on Great Britain and America for
linguistic reasons, Kapoor targets the French and German
market. Currently there is a keen interest about India in
both countries, so we are on the right track.
Others too have realised this and are training their sights
westwards. Of course we want to popularise Germany as a
land of books in India. Its a two-way street, says Akshay
Pathak. He heads the German Book Office (GBO) in New
Delhi. Set up in 2008 and financed equally by the German
foreign ministry and Frankfurt Book Fair, it is the hub of
literary bridge-building between Germany and India. A
large poster hangs at the entrance to the office: Books are
Sustenance .
Sustenance in the literal sense is also on hand at Meher-
chand Market in Delhi, where the Roli bookshop is located
just next to the cafs. On entering, the first thing one sees
are not Indian coffee table books but a rack holding a heavy
pictorial volume on modern architecture published by
Phaidon in Berlin. We do the distribution for Phaidon in
India, reveals Kapoor. But the business works the other
way round as well. Roli has also been able to sell some
of its coffee table books to German publishing houses,
for instance kite-view photographs of the subcontinent,
a magnificent volume on India then and now, and even a
cookbook. Frederking & Thaler have over time become one
of Rolis important partners.
The Goethe Institute referred to as Max Mueller Bhavan in
India is also actively involved in promoting German litera-
ture. It has facilitated the increasingly close cooperation be-
tween the Suhrkamp Verlag and Seagull Books in Kolkata.
Navin Kishore, Seagulls dedicated publisher, has bought
the world rights for 28 Suhrkamp titles. India at best wants
Hesse or Brecht, says Petra Hardt, who heads the rights
and licenses division at the Berlin publishing house, but
Seagull has shown tremendous interest and commitment.
The translations for Seagull are financed by the Goethe In-
stitute, which is naturally interested in furthering cultural
ties between India and Germany. It was also the only way
Indian publishing houses could afford the highly qualified
but expensive translators whom the authors trusted. We
do have an interest in selling rights outside the English
and British region, says Hardt. Meanwhile, even the Han-
ser Verlag has started working with Seagull. We are trying
to change the traditional India-West relationship and not
end up merely reprinting their original titles for the Indian
market. We print books here and in the UK and distribute
in the rest of the world, says Kishore, explaining his busi-
ness model to the financial newspaper Mint. The Tesloff
Verlag, known for publishing childrens books, in fact set
up a joint venture with Sterling Publishers in Delhi in 2009.
Spokesperson Annet Hnel says, Our books appear in In-
dia in English and we use Sterlings distribution network in
African, Arabic and Southeast Asian countries.
/ translation sells ECONOMY
I
b
o
o
k
c
o
v
e
r
s
b
y
d
c
b
a
n
d
p
r
a
t
h
a
m
b
o
o
k
s
,
c
o
v
e
r
f
l
o
w
-
e
f
f
e
c
t
e
d
i
t
e
d
b
y
g
r
o
u
p
e
-
d
e
j
o
u
r
.
d
e
ECONOMY
- - -
Christoph Hein is business correspondent for Asia for the German
daily newspaper Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung.
The variety of strategies matches the huge interest Ger-
man publishers are showing in the Indian market. India is
ranked sixth among book producing countries. Apparently
about 19,000 publishing houses bring out roughly 90,000 ti-
tles every year. But no one is absolutely sure. There are just
65,000 ISBN numbers. There continues to be a dearth of
data on the industry and the market, says Pathak. But one
thing does appear certain: the market is still dominated
by medium-sized family-owned publishing houses. Fol-
lowing the liberalisation of the economy in 1991, however,
even large international publishers are making forays into
India. Random House, Hachette Livre, Harper Collins, the
Penguin Group and McGraw-Hill have all come to the Gan-
ges. The market today is estimated at 1.4 billion. About 40
per cent of new books are printed in English, 30 per cent
in Hindi, the rest is made up of the 23 other national lan-
guages. So it is not surprising that Penguin India began
translating many of its bestsellers into Hindi and some of
its Hindi classics into English several years ago. Overall,
India is considered the third-largest producer of English
titles. English has remained the language of the elite and
is widely used for the transmission of important ideas on
policy and development, says Vinutha Mallya, Senior Edi-
tor at Mapin Publishing, the leading Indian publisher for
art books, based in Ahmedabad.
About half of all new publications are educational books;
young India is a voracious learner. The economic growth
rate of 9 per cent has resulted in the creation of a middle
class that wants to read. The literacy rate is 74 per cent for a
population of 1.2 billion, but among the youth it is already
83 per cent. Everyone in the publishing industry knows that
the demand is growing. In 2009 German publishers sold 98
licenses in India. In 2006, when India was guest of honour
country at the Frankfurt Book Fair, the number climbed to
a record 145. By way of comparison, 491 German licences
went to China in 2009 and 113 to Japan. From a purely com-
mercial perspective, it is also an untapped market, which
waits to be discovered and developed, says Pathak.
But do Indians want to read books by German authors only
in English? No, says DC Kizhakemuri. The publisher from
Kerala consequently translates them into languages that
most Germans would never even have heard of. In India
the book market for languages like Bengali, Malayalam,
Marathi or Tamil is at least as active as the one for English.
Even the number of potential readers is much higher, says
Pathak. It is hardly surprising therefore, that the Kolkata
book fair is considered the largest in the world with 1.6 mil-
lion visitors.
Admittedly, total print runs are still low. Translations into
Hindi or other Indian languages still do not show up in the
Litrix system of the Goethe Institute, Frankfurt Book Fair
or the German Cultural Foundation, as opposed to titles in
Arabic or Chinese. But things are changing. Trivandrum in
southern India has had its own book fair for the last two
years where Indian publishers can acquire licensing and
translation rights into regional languages from each other.
The GBO is also represented at the fair. In Kerala, a com-
munist state that is considered highly educated, people
know their literature. The intellectuals here are familiar
with German philosophers like Jrgen Habermas. DC Pub-
lishers, named after the initials of its founder, has tapped
this potential. It is publishing two volumes by German-
speaking Nobel Prize winner Herta Mller as also Daniel
Kehlmann in Malayalam. Suhrkamp, too, has found two
women publishers who will translate their books initially
into Bengali and Hindi. But the business is slow in taking
off, feels Hardt.
The barriers are high. Describing the situation and urgent
need to modernise, Mallya explains, A key factor in recent
years that has worked to the disadvantage of publishing in
Indian languages is the lack of appropriate computing tech-
nology. Word processors, desktop publishing, and other
enabling technologies and localised IT solutions were un-
available for a long time. Kishore also criticizes that while
the Bengali publishers, for example, are committed, their
standard is not yet at par with the world market. For in-
stance, they have to learn to prepare their advance infor-
mation of future books at least a year in advance so as to
be able to circulate it at venues such as the Frankfurt Book
Fair. And then of course there are the challenges of trans-
lation. How would one translate chocolate pudding into
Hindi? A chocolate pudding which no one in India knows?
Pathak translated the childrens book Lenny and Tweak
from German into Hindi. After much mulling he made the
unknown pudding into mithai, or simply sweets , a finger-
licking treat for every Indian child.
The cultural ties between Germany and India are far older
and more wide-ranging than it would seem. With regard to
printing alone, India and Germany have links that go back
over a hundred years. The painter Ravi Varma printed pic-
tures of the icons of Indian mythology in Germany in the
1920s. At that time Germany offered a much more sophis-
ticated printing technology, sharper and with brighter
colours. Varma subsequently brought a German printing
press to Bombay in the early 20th century. The technical
management of the press, however, was in the hands of ex-
perienced printers from Germany who were instrumental
in introducing their highly organised management and
work methods. Popular Indian imagery was as much inf lu-
enced by the technical methods and stylistic conventions of
these technicians, as from cheap, imported Made in Ger-
many prints, write the art historians Erwin Neumayer and
Christine Schelberger. The old German printing presses are
still standing in the workshop of the painter, who is idolised
in India. A recent successor to this tradition is Heidelberger
Druckmaschinen who are firming up their presence on the
subcontinent. The printing machine company from Heidel-
berg has even opened a printing academy in Chennai that
covers the entire sector including printing for packaging.
Nevertheless, Roli publisher Kapoor still prefers to get the
bulk of his books printed in Singapore. We have had con-
tacts there for decades so the prices are comparable. But
quality and reliability are better than they are here, says
Kapoor. But this scenario is gradually changing. We are in-
creasingly trying to get our coffee table volumes printed in
India. But some things are still lacking. German publish-
ers too tend to shy away from printing in India. The art book
publisher Taschen from Cologne gets its books printed in
Singapore and Hong Kong but not in India.
While it may still take a while for printing to take off in a
big way, a network of the entire publishing industry has
now been built up. It started with India being the guest of
honour country at the Frankfurt Book Fair in 2006 and has
been becoming increasingly close-knit. Pathaks GBO is the
nerve centre of these activities. The GBO serves as a kind
of incubator of literary exchange. Of course, there is also
money to be made. But that is not our main objective. We
regard the GBO as a gateway to the Indian market. We want
to build up enduring and dependable relationships, says
Claudia Kaiser, who is responsible for business develop-
ment at Frankfurt Book Fair (FBF). Obviously FBF is happy
when Indian publishers book a stand at the fair. We are
also looking at the market in India with the objective of set-
ting up a book fair, says Kaiser. The GBO now offers semi-
nars covering various aspects of the publishing industry.
A five-day intensive course for senior management in the
publishing industry conducted in spring was completely
overbooked. In June, GBO invited Indian publishers from
the Mind, Body, Spirit segment on a trip to Germany to
link up with their German counterparts. Presumably yoga
books comprised part of the luggage.
Pramod Kapoor ref lects, We ourselves have not needed the
German Book Office so far. Then he pauses for a minute.
But perhaps we should try it out.
/ translation sells
b
o
o
k
c
o
v
e
r
s
b
y
d
c
b
a
n
d
p
r
a
t
h
a
m
b
o
o
k
s
,
c
o
v
e
r
f
l
o
w
-
e
f
f
e
c
t
e
d
i
t
e
d
b
y
g
r
o
u
p
e
-
d
e
j
o
u
r
.
d
e
fter the onset of liberalisation two decades ago, work
and living patterns have changed drastically in India.
Modern cars, stuffed with electronics, can not be re-
paired easily in the garage next door. Airports and metro
stations need highly-skilled personnel to cater to interna-
tional construction companies. Not just in infrastructure
and automobile industry, lack of skilled manpower is a con-
cern across all sectors. At the current rate of growth, Indias
requirement for skilled workforce will perhaps reach 500
million by 2020. According to a study conducted in 2005 by
consultants McKinsey, based on the current rate of up to 60
per cent school drop-outs before 10th standard exam, only
a quarter of the 500 million manpower will be available in a
decade, which is aptly skilled. The main reason is still cited
as lack of practical on-the-job training within companies,
which are unable to absorb raw talent.
The need for vocational education is also felt strongly by
German companies based in India. A survey by the Indo-
German Chamber of Commerce (IGCC) in 2010 shows that
while German companies are poised to hire more personnel
to adequately cater to the increasing demand, some com-
plain about the insufficient availability of talent. The survey
further derived that while vocational in-house training can
compensate for a lack of skilled staff in the labour market,
only 37 of the 100 companies that participated in this survey
can afford an internal training programme. This is where
iMOVE, an initiative of the German Ministry of Education
and Research (BMBF), has helped in bridging gaps.
Educational development cooperation between India and
Germany started some 50 years ago. Today, Germany offers
mainly strategic consultancy, coordinated and led by BMBF.
The experts from iMOVE have researched prevailing condi-
tions in India and the growing need for practical courses
in vocational training programmes. The newly established
bilateral working group on vocational education & training
has been meeting regularly since 2008 to enhance voca-
tional training methodology based on the industry-driven
dual system .
35
/ filling the skills gap
Germanys dual system has served as an excellent exam-
ple of vocational education worldwide. The idea is to offer
a healthy mix of in-the-school and on-the-job training,
supported by the government and industry simultaneously.
Along with theoretical training provided by vocational
schools, companies take over practical instruction, which
constitutes a major chunk of the education. The ratio be-
tween theory and practice is 35 to 65 per cent. Based on a
compulsory curriculum, the training is adapted to the con-
ditions of a company but is monitored and controlled by the
respective chambers. Besides, as trainees learn by working,
the company pays a training salary . There are many advan-
tages to this system: Governments save on expensive costs
for training equipment and students train with state-of-the-
art machinery within companies, enabling them to experi-
ence real working processes.
Jrgen Mnnicke, Advisor for International Vocational Edu-
cation with iMOVE, feels optimistic about the paradigm
shift in Indias approach, which strives to incorporate the
private sector, business chambers and unions, lessening the
burden on ministries. This is a new playing field for Indo-
German cooperation. The b2b approach is very good as the
Indian government recognises the capacity of the private
sector. Companies are involving themselves more and more
in training, which is a part of their corporate responsibility.
We are not looking at copying the German model in India but
we want to adapt it to Indian conditions and search for solu-
tions together, he says.
Main targets of iMOVE are to contribute to a general and
more harmonised curriculum development, capacity build-
ing for training of trainers, modernisation of instructional
media and setting general standards for examinations and
certification along with accreditation. For this purpose, the
National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) of India
has been identified as a new main partner to iMOVE. Also,
the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry
(FICCI) signed MoUs with the German Federal Institute
ECONOMY
- - -
With a newly laid foundation of bilateral cooperation in vocational education, Germany is sup-
porting India in developing its vast base of human resources.
/ text: sunanda rao- erdem
27.83 18.56 0.27 1.08 0.99 1.99 15.75 12.40 10.79 4.13 12.57 11.5
FILLING THE
SKILLS GAP
Commercial Vehicles Cars Three Wheelers Two Wheelers
Direct employment Incremental human requirement (in 100,000) expected in 2022
Auto OEM Auto Component Manufacturers RM
s
o
u
r
c
e
:
i
m
a
c
s
a
n
a
l
y
s
i
s
/
i
n
f
o
-
g
r
a
p
h
i
c
:
g
r
o
u
p
e
-
d
e
j
o
u
r
.
d
e
A
37
d
p
a
ECONOMY
for Vocational Training and Education (BIBB) and iMOVE
in 2010, which supports FICCIs activities in the training of
trainers, cooperation in setting up Sector Skill Councils in
Retail, Media and Entertainment, Food processing, Hospi-
tality and Tourism and establishment of a permanent net-
working infrastructure for German training providers in
India and Indian stakeholders.
The NSDC in India has identified 22 sectors catering to an
ever-increasing demand for skilled workforce. One of its
aims is to set up and monitor training standards in the auto
manufacturing sector. This is where Germany has been ex-
emplified: Instead of waiting for Sector Skill Councils (SSCs)
to be set up by the government, companies are encouraged
to contribute towards SSCs and collaborate with authori-
ties. Accordingly, German companies in India have been ap-
proached by iMOVE, suggesting that they may team-up with
appropriate Indian partners while they establish their own
training infrastructures. Many German-rooted companies
have individually set up infrastructures for vocational train-
ing in India. Some of the well-known examples are VE&T-Sys-
tem of BOSCH India, Gedee Technical Training Institution
in cooperation with G.D Weiler Machine Tool Ltd., FESTO In-
dia Ltd. or TUEV Sued India Ltd. Another example of this co-
operation is the VW Academy India, which was inaugurated
in October 2010. Run by Volkswagen India Pvt. Ltd. Pune, the
academy has also employed 60 ITI-students under the ap-
prenticeship act of 1961. Ralf Mayer, Head of Apprenticeship
and Advanced Training at the Volkswagen Academy, empha-
sises the importance of iMOVE in bringing companies and
authorities closer. Through iMOVE we came in contact with
Indian Government institutions like the Directorate General
of Education and Training (DGE&T), the Directorate of Vo-
cational Education and Training (DVET) of the Government
of Maharashtra and industry-related organisations like the
National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) and the Au-
tomotive Skill Development Council (ASDC), he adds.
The Indo-German Training Centre (IGTC) established in
1991 by the Indo-German Chamber of Commerce has also
contributed in a big way to Indias growing industrial needs.
Operating out of Mumbai, Chennai, Bangalore and Kolkata,
it facilitates training of 18 months in world-class German and
Indian organisations comprising of six months of practical
on-the-job training in management courses. The success of
this programme is indicated through a 100 per cent place-
ment record, with the majority of students continuing to
work with their training company. This has enabled trainees
to find excellent job placements in world-class companies,
feels Ashwin Tirthakar, the topper of the trainings batch of
2010. What attracted me towards IGTC was its unique dual
education system offering six-months of industrial expo-
sure, that too with a German MNC. I was selected as a trainee
by a company invented for life: BOSCH. Exceptional faculty
- - -
Sunanda Rao-Erdem is based in Delhi and works as Consultant
with CNC communications India. She has worked as Diplomatic
Editor for the Hindi daily New World. She lived in Germany and
worked with Deutsche Welle for 13 years.
has always been the USP of IGTC. In IGTC, they are not aca-
demicians, but experts: best in the business with rich indus-
try experience, remembers Tirthakar. After more than two
decades of successfully conducting courses in the manage-
ment services sector, IGTC is now looking at entering into
the sphere of technical training. The project of a training
centre in Pune is in the pipeline, for which the blueprint is
ready and discussions on funding will start soon. Courses
like welding technology, metal technology, vehicle mecha-
tronics and vehicle electronics are envisaged.
According to Jrgen Mnnicke from iMOVE, India is under-
going not just an economic upsurge but also a socio-cultural
movement. He feels that social barriers towards handicrafts
and skilled labour have to be lifted and the time is ripe for
this. The magnitude of this sector is mind-boggling. If
India gets the right opportunities to learn, the skilled per-
sonnel sector will explode, concludes Mnnicke. Direct
cooperation between Indian companies and German train-
ing providers has also been initiated. The Shalimar Group
of Industries is going to set up their own Satya Narain Khai-
tan Institute of Mechatronics in cooperation with FESTO
Didactic GmbH, Germany. For this purpose Shalimar Group
has already contacted the concerned state governments of
Rajasthan and Gujarat. In the first phase it is intended to
create up to 10 institutes. At the Business to Business (B2B)
level, the Indian Infrastructure Leasing and Financial Ser-
vices (IL&FS) has agreed to cooperate with the Handwerks-
kammer Rhein-Main in setting up 100 vocational multi-skill
institutes along the industrial corridor between Delhi and
Mumbai.
Indias massive reservoir of talent, if properly trained, will
not just fulfil domestic demands but also help countries
struggling with depleting skilled manpower. A big example
is Germany itself: The countrys federal labour agency has
shown an urgent need for two million foreign qualified work-
ers to avoid an impending skilled worker shortage, and by
2025 this number would rise to seven million throughout all
industries. Maybe it is too early to talk about India fulfilling
this shortage, but as Germany goes through a demographi-
cal change, this idea could soon become a reality.
Mahatma Gandhi once said, Those who do not train their
hands, who go through the ordinary route of education, lack
music in their life Seeing the change that India is going
through, these words are surely music to the ears.
Fraport Airport Operations
from Austria to Xian.
The Company
Fraport AG is a leading player in the global
airport industry. Following its initial public
offering (IPO) Fraport has become the
second largest listed airport company in
the world, by revenues.
Fraports expertise is based on more than
80 years of aviation history at Frankfurt am
Main, Germany. Frankfurt Airport (airport
code = FRA) is located about 12 kilometers
from downtown Frankfurt. A renowned
pioneer for decades, FRA serves as Fraports
home base and as a showcase for the com-
panys know-how, technology, products,
and services.

With outstanding connectivity to all ve
continents of the globe, FRA is a intermodal
hub with one of the largest catchment areas
in the world and direct access to the German
high-speed railway network. FRA is strategi-
cally situated in the heart of Germany and
the European Union. Airlines can prot from
high utilization rates and trafc yields.
Range of services
The company prides itself in being a lead-
ing-edge provider of integrated airport
services. Besides managing FRA, Fraport
AG and its subsidiaries provide the full
range of planning, design, operational,
commercial and management services
for airports around the world. Fraport AG
serves as a neutral partner to the worlds
major airlines: offering a complete pack-
age of aircraft, cargo, passenger and other
ground handling services. Outside Ger-
many, the company has ground services
operations in Austria. Other areas of Fra-
port expertise include cargo and ground
handling, real estate development, airport
retailing, IT services, intermodal concepts,
environmental management, hub man-
agement, training, etc.
Fraport worldwide
Through investments, joint ventures and
management contracts, Fraport is now
active on 4 continents. Fraport served
some 73.7 million passengers in 2009 and
handled 2.1 million metric tons of cargo
(airfreight and airmail) at the Groups
airports.
Fraport, which bids for airport manage-
ment projects worldwide, was awarded a
30-year concession for operating, manag-
ing and developing Indira Gandhi Inter-
national Airport (IGIA) in India. Together
with state-run Airports Authority of India
(AAI) Fraport AG has formed Delhi Inter-
national Airport Private Limited (DIAL).
Fraport is the nominated Airport Opera-
tor and an Airport Operator Agreement
concluded with DIAL under which it will
be utilizing its extensive airport expertise
developed over the past 80 years to assist
with the operation, management and
development of IGIA.
Fraport AG
Frankfurt Airport Services Worldwide
60547 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
E-mail: marketing@fraport.de
Internet: www.fraport.com
www.frankfurt-airport.com
Contact:
Ansgar Sickert
Vijender Sharma
Fraport India
Paharpur Business Centre
Suite 302
21, Nehru Place
New Delhi 110 019, India
Phone: +91 11 4120 7355 (AS)
+91 11 4120 7334 (VS)
Fax: +91 11 4120 7558
Mobile: +91 99 1038 2806
E-mail: ansgar.sickert@fraport.in
vijender.sharma@fraport.in
/ / / german news / volume 52 / issue no. 1 / august 2011 36
View from
the other side
ECONOMY / view from the other side
i
m
a
g
e
s
o
u
r
c
e
/
m
i
h
o
m
i
h
o
or a year, Volker Mller watched from his desk
as the Indian economy surged steadily upwards.
Then the entrepreneurial bug bit him. Mller,
with a degree in economics and journalism un-
der his belt, set off in search of a business idea. He
found it in South Africa, in a small caf at the edge of the
desert sitting in front of a huge vat of melted chocolate. The
aroma was divine, recalls Mller, and I thought, if this is
possible here then it must be possible in Delhi too, despite
the 50C temperatures in summer. That was when Mavo
was born the first chocolate production house in Delhi.
Business start-ups need facts. Mller required figures on
chocolate consumption and the behaviour patterns of his
future customers. According to trade magazine Beverage
& Food Processing Times, the market for chocolate is peg-
ged at Rs 30 billion and is growing at 15 per cent annually.
Among the affluent, upwardly mobile, well-travelled middle
class there is a demand for Western consumer goods. Apart
from wine, cheese and bread, smooth melting chocolate is
the new luxury product. Mllers analysis of the competition
proved equally encouraging. He identified only three com-
petitors and their products were very expensive. We felt we
were on the right track. The market for high-quality choco-
late confectionery at a reasonable price was evidently un-
tapped. Initial contacts with wholesalers, however, quickly
brought him back to earth. No one deals in real chocolate
in Delhi. The raw materials have to be imported. What is
available is chocolate glaze, a heat-resistant substitute for
chocolate in which cocoa butter is replaced by cheaper fats.
This was just one of the hurdles the chocolate start-up faced.
None of us had a clue about making chocolate confection-
ery, Mller admits. He and his wife Maya finally enrolled
in a professional course in chocolate-making at the choco-
late academy of the worlds largest cocoa producer. They
were now ready for their first attempt. Chocolate v. 1.0 tasted
awful. Our kitchen resembled a battlefield. But the mar-
ket test two months later at the Christmas fair of the Indo-
German Chamber of Commerce was a success. It was time to
clear the last hurdle and set up a company. In Germany, it is
possible to establish a small partnership in a day. In India
that would suffice merely to obtain a rough idea of the bu-
reaucratic procedures involved. But the fledgling enterprise
didnt give up. Mller sought the advice of a business consul-
tant. After 12 months he had finally made it. Initial discus-
sions with potential business partners went off exceedingly
well. Sales were brisk at the Diwali and Christmas markets.
Defying all odds, the company broke even in the first year.
- - -
From business journalist to chocolatier Indias
growth story inspires German entrepreneurship
/ text: dorothea riecker
Volker Mller has, obviously, not remained the only choco-
late confectioner in Delhi. Western-style Indian confec-
tionery shops are sprouting all over the place, especially
in modern shopping malls, but Volker is not afraid of this
competition. The secret of our success is very high quality.
Everyone else uses cheap chocolate substitutes to raise the
melting point , he explains. In a hot country like India the
biggest challenge for the Mavo founder is to produce real
chocolate. Real chocolate is a difficult product. It is as un-
predictable as a diva. It is extremely sensitive to heat. Yet he
wouldnt dream of compromising on the quality.
A visit to the German chocolatiers factory takes one by sur-
prise at first because it is no bigger than a living room. While
Mller pours the liquid chocolate from the melting pots
into moulds, his wife Maya and an employee roll out fine
truffles at the other end of the table. An enticing aroma fills
the room. There is more to it than just melting and cooling
down. We produce small works of art , Mller comments,
carefully putting the delicate treats in a refrigerator set to
18C. The product range includes high-quality truffles, melt-
in-the-mouth pralines and luxurious chocolate bars like
those sold in exclusive chocolateries in Germany. Taking a
short break from the production process, the chocolate per-
fectionist speaks with enthusiasm and a passion for detail
about his select ingredients that would be any connoisseurs
delight: raw chocolate from Belgium and France, Grand Cru
chocolate with cacao beans sourced from a single plantation
and premium blends of beans from Indonesia, Ghana and
Ivory Coast. The mini company produces about 3,200 choco-
lates a day. New creations such as mango lassi confections
or pina colada truffles are the results of experiments. In his
free time Mller is constantly trying out new recipes.
Two years ago the ex-journalist would not have dreamt that
he would be conquering Indian hearts through chocolate.
Although India lags far behind in the world rankings with
a per capita chocolate consumption of just 300 grammes,
he is convinced that this is the chocolate El Dorado of the
future. If his current success is anything to go by, he could
well be right. On holidays, especially, he has to put in over-
time hours. His production of 35 kg a week falls far short of
meeting demand at these times. He is planning a chocolate
academy to train the Indian sweet tooth to appreciate choco-
lates delicate seduction. Who knows, perhaps Volker Ml-
ler will succeed in kissing India awake from its chocolate
slumber.
F
- - -
Dorothea Riecker is foreign correspondent for the German news
magazine Focus.
SCI ENCE
CULTURES OF
DISASTER
- - -
Cultural memory, history and belief systems have
important roles to play in the way we deal with disasters
/ text: narayani ganesh
hen does a natural event become a disaster?
And whats culture got to do with natural disas-
ters and their management? Quite a lot, it seems.
A natural event becomes a disaster when it clashes with
cultural settlement structures , says researcher Prof Gerrit
Jasper Schenk, team leader of the Junior Research Group
Cultures of Disaster . Human agency and dealing with risk
shape the course a catastrophe takes decisively. It is here
that culture comes into play.
To enable better understanding of why and how disasters
occur worldwide and how best we can learn to face the chal-
lenge, the German Research Foundation (DFG) has allotted
generous funding to Schenks research group to encourage
the study of disasters from a historical and cultural per-
spective. The research group is part of an inter-disciplinary
network of researchers at Heidelberg Universitys Cluster
of Excellence Asia and Europe in a Global context . Here,
scholars from different discipline backgrounds study
the processes of exchange of ideas, concepts, technolo-
gies, commodities, and people between Asia and Europe
throughout history, the impact these exchange processes
have on local environments (human and natural), and how
these retroact in their places of origin.
The application of such a perspective on disaster research
could reveal the ways in which we react to catastrophic
events and deal with them through the layers of social and
cultural conditioning while working within the constraints
imposed by political institutions, governance and public
administration and sense of collective responsibility. This
could result in finding solutions that are not merely
W
f
l
o
o
d
e
d
w
i
t
h
m
e
m
o
r
i
e
s
:
p
o
r
t
r
a
i
t
s
o
f
i
n
u
n
d
a
t
i
o
n
f
r
o
m
a
s
s
a
m
b
y
k
a
z
e
m
u
d
d
i
n
(
k
a
z
u
)
a
h
m
e
d
/ cultures of disaster
Matmora, where these photos have been taken, has long
been lost in the depths of the Brahmaputra. The village
has all but completely disappeared, leaving nothing but its
memory in the swirling waters of the Brahmaputra.
41 / / / german news / volume 52 / issue no. 1 / august 2011 40 / / / german news / volume 52 / issue no. 1 / august 2011
SCI ENCE
reactions in its aftermath while at the same time peoples
perceptions of the causes of a disaster may have only little
impact on larger schemes for disaster management. For
example, after the earthquake in 1934 in Bihar people re-
ferred to myths and beliefs which placed the earthquake
within their worldview. This is not to say that science or
seismological theories were less important; but, in order to
make sense of an extraordinary event that causes death and
changes physical landscapes within seconds, the myths
and beliefs seem to help people to cope with a disaster,
she adds.
Prof Schenk emphasizes that global technologies plus lo-
cal knowledge equals hybrid solutions. Technical ap-
proach might have been developed in the west but we need
to include local knowledge that has important lessons to
teach us , he asserts. When we cease to respect traditional
systems, the outcome can be disastrous, he says, quoting
a bad example of adopting western techniques in east In-
dia. River embankments, an idea imported from the west,
has disrupted the way riverine populations conducted their
lives, without fear of f loods. Similarly, big dams can be
problematic, he says, especially when it leads to thousands
becoming internally displaced people.
The outcome of the workshop on the transculturality of di-
sasters as the two held before this one, first in Heidelberg
and then in Beirut has been to sharpen ref lexes of involved
persons to cultural and not just technical dimensions of di-
sasters. People dont react the way that government and
policymakers expect them to , says Prof Schenk. Therefore
it is necessary to integrate local knowledge and tradition in
the region you are working on to make it efficient.
Sir Bernard Feilden, celebrated British conservation archi-
tect, would repeatedly reiterate the importance of planning
for the period between disasters and here cultural mem-
ory and sharing of community experience across regions
play pivotal roles in preparing the ground for action. The
need is for a bottoms-up approach, not a top-down one. And
one that takes into account all historical and cultural facts
and belief systems, even if the latter are not comprehensi-
ble to some, for they have a role to play in the way disasters
are dealt with and in the way individuals and communities
come together to move ahead and take responsibility.
- - -
Narayani Ganesh is senior editor with The Times of India. She
writes on issues related to science and technology, environment,
heritage and philosophy.
/ cultures of disaster
operational in the sense of post-disaster management but,
more importantly, in dealing with disasters through cul-
tural learning experiences from across the world and per-
haps help minimise the trauma and damage.
Among the worst examples of parachute-dropping western
solutions to eastern crises was seen in the way rehabilita-
tion of ancient monuments was carried out prior to the
earthquake that devastated Gujarat in 2004, particularly
in Bhuj where the impact was most severe. Medieval struc-
tures that had recently been successfully renovated by the
Archaelogical Survey of India were reduced to rubble while
those that had retained their ancient form remained intact
despite the earth shaking their foundations. How did this
happen? Western technology using cement was slapped
onto the dome that was constructed in ribbed fashion.
Rendered top heavy with uniformly plastered cement, the
structure simply collapsed under its own weight when the
ground shook.
It is no longer viable or even practical to look at human pop-
ulations and the ecosystems from a purely local standpoint;
with globalisation and explosion of economic and cultural
activity crossing all man-made boundaries, the way we
interact with our environment is increasingly becoming
global even if the origin of a disaster could be reduced to
a local event. A disaster anywhere in the world has wide-
ranging repercussions on the economic, political, cultural
and psychological lives of communities living anywhere
on the globe. The most recent example would be that of
the earthquake and tsunami that has devastated Japan but
whose effects resonate to far f lung areas that are nowhere
near ground zero. Disasters, thus, can no longer be viewed
as isolated local phenomena; they are to be viewed from the
prism of a more holistic medium of the global and the local
in other words, making possible what is being termed as a
glocalised approach to the problem.
To this end, a recent workshop on Transculturality of His-
torical Disasters: Governance and the Materialisation of
Glocalisation was organised by Prof. Schenks research
group at the Max Mueller Bhavan, New Delhi. Experts from
around the world came together to share their views and
findings on the subject. What is the relation between na-
ture and society vis--vis what are termed as natural di-
sasters like earthquakes, f loods, droughts and storms? The
importance of historical study and analysis of ancient ma-
terials used cannot be underestimated only because they
are ancient. If only a historical and cultural perspective
had been adopted, it would have become obvious that to re-
pair an ancient structure and preserve heritage, it would be
sensible to use only those materials that were used in the
first place. In the UK, restoration of monuments is largely
undertaken by reconstructing the materials and technol-
ogy that created them in the first place, thereby not only
preserving the purity of that heritage but also ensuring
their survival for longer periods.
This is true not just of man-made structures but of natural
habitats as well, as was seen clearly in the way the Indian
Ocean tsunami wreaked havoc in the subcontinent in 2004.
Wherever mangroves were vibrant, the coastline remained
largely protected or at least suffered minimum damage.
Wherever mangroves had been destroyed and the coastline
was vulnerable, there was maximum damage to life, live-
lihood and property. So the transfer of ideas, knowledge
and commodities from one region or culture to another
has to be done with great sensitivity and applied in a way
that synergises existing knowledge systems in affected ar-
eas, and not by replacing them with entirely new ways that
have no organic presence. The striving is to institution-
alise a method that would be dynamic rather than static;
that would take into account both modern developments as
well as include older perspectives that have grown out of
ancient knowledge systems and cultural experiences that
are invaluable when dealing with large scale catastrophic
events. In this context, the value of a cluster study that in-
vokes international expertise as well as draws from local
wisdom could be immense. This way, the cluster seeks to
establish a network or fund of scholarship that can handle
area studies from a global perspective, which is what glo-
calisation is about.
Edward Simpson, senior lecturer in social anthropology at
the Centre for South Asian Studies, SOAS, London, deliv-
ered a keynote lecture at the Delhi workshop on the signifi-
cant similarities in the way people of different religions lay
blame and attribute agency in the region in the context of
earthquakes. By invoking collective social memory, com-
munities are able to render the extraordinary, ordinary,
he says, pointing to the importance of drawing from com-
mon sources of strength in facing large-scale disaster.
Therefore, regional understanding of disasters and the lo-
cal way of dealing with them can prove to be significant in
calming nerves and ensuring collective responsibility.
Prof Schenk says that the network of 12 scholars in Europe
studying the historical aspect of disasters is doing excellent
work. He adds that disaster is only one part of research; gov-
ernance and administration are being looked at in equal
measure. He has two doctoral students, Kristine Chalyan-
Daffner, who is studying disasters in the Middle Ages in
Egypt, and Eleonor Marcussen, who is focusing on India.
According to Marcussen, who has studied responses to di-
sasters in northern Bihar in the early 20th century, it seems
evident that cultural perceptions of a disaster inf luence
While the land is gone, the people continue to survive and
need an identity to hold on to. An embankment hitherto
nameless has been rechristened as the village and become
home for the people of Matmora. f
l
o
o
d
e
d
w
i
t
h
m
e
m
o
r
i
e
s
:
p
o
r
t
r
a
i
t
s
o
f
i
n
u
n
d
a
t
i
o
n
f
r
o
m
a
s
s
a
m
b
y
k
a
z
e
m
u
d
d
i
n
(
k
a
z
u
)
a
h
m
e
d
45
SCI ENCE
- - -
The Indo-German Centre for Sustainability aims at developing the capacity and the capability to
promote sustainable development in Germany, India and South Asia.
text: chetan chauhan
ndian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and 54-year-
old Kalka Devi in the northern state of Uttarakhand
resonate that climate change will pose the biggest survival
challenge, but their areas of concern are different. For the
PM, changing climate could be a possible stumbling block
for achieving Indias economic growth at 9 to 9.5 per cent
of the GDP in the next five years, with a council headed by
him estimating that it can impact GDP growth by 1 to 1.5
per cent. Devi is more worried about getting clean drinking
water in the hill state source of two big rivers in India,
Ganges and Yamuna for her family, as glaciers are melt-
ing probably because of global warming. She has to walk at
least two kilometres a day to fetch a bucket of water, which
until late 1990s was available in her village.
A possible answer to the trauma of the PM and Devi is inter-
national collaboration for deploying solutions as per local
needs. One such collaboration has started between Indian
and German scientists at the premier Indian Institute of
Technology (IIT) Madras. On December 6, 2010, India and
Germany came together to set up the Indo-German Centre
for Sustainability (IGCS) at IIT-Madras, where scientists
from the two countries will jointly conduct research proj-
ects on climate change issues with an aim to find solutions.
The IGCS is jointly headed by the Director of IIT-Madras
Prof. M. S. Ananth and the Director of RWTH Aachen Uni-
versity Prof. Dr. Ernst Schmachtenberg. Experienced sci-
entists from Germany will be stationed in Chennai for two
years to provide input for improving current projects and
developing new ones.
The IGCS will mean cooperation between German and
Indian scientists on fundamental and applied research,
teaching and training and dissemination of information in
the area of sustainable development. The Centre aims to
promote sustainable development through analysis, train-
ing, information dissemination and guidance and action in
a few pilot demonstration projects, says coordinator Pro-
fessor S C Rajan, who has expertise on climate change is-
sues through his work at IIT-Madras. Our work can provide
important inputs for policy makers.
To start with, the Centre is focusing on four areas water,
waste, energy and land use vital for safeguarding India
from the onslaught of devastating effects of climate change.
The issues chosen are important because Indias water re-
sources are diminishing as demand increases, huge migra-
tion to urban areas (half of India will be in cities by 2030) is
leading to huge waste generation, 46 per cent of Indians do
not have access to regular power supply and land is becom-
ing the most priced commodity because of high industrial
growth.
WATER
In India, water will be the most sought after natural re-
source in the next decade mainly because of the impact of
climate change on monsoon, a big source of fresh water.
The Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology at Pune has
found that climate change has been causing lesser rainy
days during monsoon months, even though overall precipi-
tation levels are constant. The main uncertainty regard-
ing climate change is the sensitivity of the monsoon regime
against changes in global climate, Peter Fiener, visiting
professor from Germany to work on water related issues at
the Centre, explains.
By 2020, Indias water demand is expected to be around
1,000 billion cubic metre (BCM) as against the supply of
about 700 BCM. The biggest demand generator will be
/ mission sustainability
I
Construction works at metro station Dubai Marina Mall,
Dubai, December 2009, United Arab Emirates.
t
h
o
m
a
s
m
e
y
e
r
/
o
s
t
k
r
e
u
z
The photograph is a part of Die Stadt. Vom Werden und
Vergehen an exhibition that searches for the essence of
present-day urban realities and documents urban growth
and decay in 22 cities worldwide. The exhibition is one of the
programme highlights of Germany and India 2011-2012:
Infinite Opportunities and will travel from Hyderabad
(September) to Chennai (October), Delhi (November) and
Kolkata (December).
45 / / / german news / volume 52 / issue no. 1 / august 2011 44 / / / german news / volume 52 / issue no. 1 / august 2011
the agricultural sector, as it will reel under global warming.
Fiener points out that the Centre will develop management
techniques to reduce water demand for irrigation during
the dry periods, and techniques for water harvesting, due
to the promotion of infiltration, for wet periods.
The Centre will also work on another area of concern fall-
ing water quality with 36 per cent of river water in India
being highly contaminated. There is a great need and op-
portunity in educating farmers on appropriate use of fertil-
izers and agrochemicals, says Fiener.
For better water management, the Indo-German centre
is working on strategies for water basins in India, which
would be regulated through a national authority in the
next three years. To my mind the centre has two main
objectives in respect of mitigating water problems. On
the one hand, the centre will promote interdisciplinary,
water-related projects, which should exemplarily show op-
tions of a sustainable water use. On the other hand, the
centre will encourage students as multipliers of new
ideas to focus on aspects of sustainable use of water
resources, which is a major challenge in India, Fiener
states.

WASTE
India, as a fast developing economy, is also facing huge
waste management problems. 28 per cent of municipal
waste remains uncollected and over 80,000 tonnes of elec-
tronic waste gets generated in 12 major cities of the coun-
try. Assuming that most of the waste goes directly to land
filling or incineration, this would lead to increasing emis-
sions of CO2 and affect the climate as a long-term conse-
quence. Moreover, groundwater can be affected by intensive
land filling, and water bodies, in general, are affected by
accumulating waste, warns Kristin Steger, who is also a
visiting professor at the Centre and has vast experience in
this field. The Centre will work on projects to find locally
adaptable solutions for effective waste management. We
can teach students about waste prevention, waste recycling
and the potential of sustainable waste treatment and in
turn encourage students to be aware of our environmental
resources. The centre could also be used as a platform for
information, about newly developed waste treatment strat-
egies, by technical staff from the waste industry or by local
farmers, Steger adds.
According to centre coordinator Rajan, there is huge poten-
tial for research and designing of solutions. For example,
anaerobic treatment of organic waste leads to the produc-
tion of biogas, which can provide fuel for the local pub-
lic transport, like buses. Such concepts combine waste
SCI ENCE
treatment with the production of energy in a sustainable
manner and are in great demand to solve regional prob-
lems, Steger emphasises.
ENERGY
India needs over 100 million megawatts of additional en-
ergy to ensure economic growth of 9 to 9.5 per cent and
provide reliable electricity to all its citizens, from just 54
per cent today. Indias power demand is expected to dou-
ble by 2020 and thermal, a major source of CO2 emissions,
seems to be the most favourable way. This is a major chal-
lenge for the Centre as it will have to provide clean thermal
energy options different from the unacceptable ones such
as carbon sequestration and storage. Rajan says that they
are working on different energy scenarios for India with
the aim to provide an energy mix that helps in sustainable
development. We want to show the solutions after imple-
menting them at the local level, he adds. Besides, Prof. Dr.
A. Kumar Kolar of the Department of Mechanical Engineer-
ing, IIT-Madras and Prof. F. Behrendt of Berlin Institute of
Technology will work together with students from IITM to
develop new technology to provide energy solutions. It can
be anything from solar to wind to thermal, Kolar says.
LAND USE
With Indias demographic profile changing at a fast pace
and half of the countrys 1.3 billion population expected to
be in urban areas by 2030, the Centre will also carry out re-
search in the field of viable land use. Sustaining urban wa-
ter bodies, ensuring better local air quality and sustainable
land use will be the focus areas of research at the centre.
Dr. H. Schnyder of the Department of Grasslands Science of
Technical University Munich will be the visiting professor
for the programme. IITM already has research programmes
in urban air management, which could be handy for re-
search. The outcome of the centres research is expected
by the end of 2011, when it does its preliminary studies
on Chennai river basin and some other major river basins
in India. In the coming years, it will also provide trained
manpower to understand climate change better and to pro-
vide local solutions. Students from IITs will be associated
in the projects, Rajan says, and adds that the centre may
eventually offer Masters and PhD degrees. Welcoming the
collaboration, Jairam Ramesh, erstwhile Minister of State
in the Ministry of Environment and Forests said, Climate
change, whether induced by carbon dioxide or not, will be a
challenge and any research to provide adaptation answers
will help us all. That can also probably give answers to con-
cerns of both PM Singh and Devi.
- - -
Chetan Chauhan is a senior assistant editor with the Delhi edition
of Hindustan Times
t
h
o
m
a
s
m
e
y
e
r
/
o
s
t
k
r
e
u
z
n o t h i n g c o m e s c l o s e
Eurofighter Typhoon: The Best Multi-Role Capabilities for India
Eurofighter Typhoon: the worlds most advanced new generation multi-role combat aircraft. Representing the combined strengths of
Europes leading aerospace and defence companies, the Eurofighter Typhoon provides engineering and industrial benefits for all customer
nations. Designed with an established technology insertion programme, Eurofighter Typhoon is an open platform offering industrial
partnership, shared development and affordable logistics solutions. w
w
w
.
e
u
r
o
f
i
g
h
t
e
r
.
c
o
m
27598_EF_Capabilities_GermanNews_Jul11_273x210_v1_Layout 1 10/06/2011 12:13 Page 1
NOTEPAD
TEICHMANN BROTHERS ON TOUR
The Goethe Institute's invitation had the Teichman Broth-
ers Electro DJ duo from Germany criss-crossing South
Asia. Their stops on the tour were Delhi, Hyderabad, Mum-
bai, Dhaka, Chennai, Bangalore, Colombo and Kabul. The
goal: to explore the electro music scene in the region. In
their luggage were compact synthesizers and a few dozen
LPs. Andy and Hannes Teichman discovered a small but
enthusiastic and growing scene of DJs and musicians who
combine disco, traditional music and Sound Art. Apart
from our performances we also organised workshops.
Perhaps these will serve as a take-off point for someone
to make it big in electro-acoustics, hopes Andy. They re-
turned to Germany with double the amount of luggage and
an interesting realisation. House and techno were not
born in America or England as most people think but
in Bombay in 1982. Charanjit Singhs 10 Ragas To A Disco
Beat were the blueprint for the acid house wave that began
in Chicago four years later, sums up Hannes. The most
commonly used electronic stand-ins in India, like electric
tanpuras and shruti boxes or the tabla rhythm Digi 100
computer, whetted the brothers electro collector appe-
tites. Ultimately for Andy and Hannes, their tour through
India threw up many ideas for future cooperation and a
sizeable gain in luggage.
www.myspace.com/teichmann
What began 125 years ago in Germany as a humble three-
wheeled motor carriage with a top speed of 18 km/h has
evolved into today's high-performance automobiles tear-
ing down the highways. It was on 29 January 1886 that Carl
Benz filed an application in Berlin for a patent on his motor
tricycle. Ever since, that day has been considered the offi-
cial birthday of the automobile, which, in 2011, celebrates
its 125th anniversary. The prototype device had a clatter-
ing, water-cooled horizontal single cylinder gas engine. On
its first run, it managed to travel just a few hundred metres,
but improvement was rapid. The first breakthrough came
only two years later when Benzs intrepid wife Bertha suc-
cessfully piloted model number 3 from her parents home
to the town of Pforzheim in August 1888. At the same time
as Benz, Gottlieb Daimler was developing the first four-
wheeled motorcar. In this way, working independently of
each other, the founding fathers of todays Daimler AG and
its globally successful Mercedes-Benz core brand laid the
foundation stone for all present-day passenger cars, com-
mercial vehicles and buses.
www.125-years-of-automobiles.com
GTZ BECOMES GI Z
Deutsche Gesellschaft fr Technische Zusammenarbeit
(GTZ) GmbH (German Technical Cooperation) changed
its name to the Deutsche Gesellschaft fr Internationale
Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH on January 1, 2011. It also
merged with InWEnt Capacity Building International
and the German Development Service (DED). It is owned
by the German Government and works in the field of inter-
national cooperation for sustainable development. GIZ is
also engaged in international education work around the
globe and currently operates in more than 130 countries
worldwide. Germany has been cooperating with India by
providing expertise through the organisations now form-
ing GIZ for more than 50 years. To address Indias prior-
ity of sustainable and inclusive growth, GIZs joint efforts
with the partners in India currently focus on the following
areas: Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency, Sustain-
able Urban and Industrial Development, Natural Resource
Management, Private Sector Development, Social Protec-
tion and Financial Systems Development.
www.giz.de
FROM HUMBLE BIRTH TO GLOBAL DOMINANCE
/ / / german news / volume 52 / issue no. 1 / august 2011 48 / / / german news / volume 52 / issue no. 1 / august 2011 49
51
CULTURE
Aamir stars
in Germany
- - -
Each February, the German capital Berlin turns into a world film mecca with the hosting of the
Berlin International Film Festival. This Year, Aamir Khan was part of the international jury.
/ interview: tanushree sengupta
r. Khan, you have attended the Berlin Film
Festival for the first time, and that too, as a
jury member. What were your expectations
when you went to Berlin and your experience
at the festival?
Aamir Khan: Ive always heard so much about the Berlin
Film Festival. It is certainly one of the most highly regarded
festivals in the world. So, I was very keen to experience it,
and I was very pleased to be invited there as part of the jury.
The festival lived up to all the expectations that I had. Its
a very well-organised festival. The entire festival was such
a lovely host for us. India is known for its hospitality and
warmth, but I have to say that the Berlin Film Festival was
as good, if not better, as a host.
Sitting on a jury with some of the most prominent inter-
national film personalities, what did you keep in mind as
an Indian film professional while looking at the competing
films at the Berlinale?
Aamir Khan: I think that filmmaking is so subjective that
its very difficult to be objective about cinema. It is a very
subjective medium and each one has their own emotional
response to different films and different things in the
films. The best that you can do is to be honest with what
you feel towards each film that you watch. Thats the best
that any jury member can do and thats what I tried to do I
just tried to stay honest with what I felt towards the films
that I was watching.
As you know, Bollywood films are extremely popular in Ger-
many. They sell an exotic image of India. But what is your
opinion on the potential of opening up the German and
European film markets to the regional and art-house films
from India, that are a portrayal of the real India?
Aamir Khan: I have to say that in my experience people,
across the world and this is for people in the US, in other
countries in Europe and other parts of the world I find
that the audiences for art-house cinema, no matter which
part of the world its coming from, is a fairly limited au-
dience. In Germany also, I would imagine strictly an art-
house audience would be a small audience. My personal
experience has been that when I was in Berlin for those 12
15 days, every day there was a mob of girls outside my hotels
and outside theatres where the screenings were happening,
waiting to take my photographs and autographs. And in my
interaction with them, I realised that these young girls are
audiences of mainstream Indian cinema. They watch all
our mainstream films, they enjoy Bollywood films. A num-
ber of them have travelled from outside Berlin to come to
meet me. You must remember it was very cold over there
minus 10, minus 15 on certain days. And they would wait
for 4 5 hours outside the hotel to meet me. Based on all
of this, I am assuming that it is a growing audience in Ger-
many for mainstream Indian cinema. They (the fans) were
constantly saying, We want more Indian films to reach
us. But all of them (Indian films) dont, because Indian
cinema doesnt have a smooth pipeline of distribution as
yet. In the US we have a smooth pipeline of distribution. All
our films release in the cities where a lot of Indians live. But
here its not Indians, here its Germans actually who want
to watch Indian films. They kept telling me, Please try and
see to it that a distribution set-up is in place so that we get
to watch all the films.
Your home production Peepli Live was released last year
in Germany, and your latest production Dhobi Ghat is
also due for release in Germany soon. What response did
Peepli get?
Aamir Khan: The response for Peepli from the distributor
of our film Stefan his company is called Rapid Eye was
not very good. He mentioned that the business was much
lower than what he had expected. Of course, Kiran, me and
him all three of us were disappointed with the response.
Now Peepli is, as I was saying, an art-house film. So maybe
the audience that watches mainstream Indian cinema did
not go for it. Lets see how it goes for Dhobi Ghat .
Do you also foresee co-productions with film boards or pro-
duction houses in Germany coming up under your banner?
Aamir Khan: There have been a number of enquiries and
scripts that have been sent to me for that purpose. I prom-
ised to read those scripts and if something excites me or
interests me then I would definitely go ahead with that.
What have been your experiences of Germany when youve
travelled in the country, this time and on your earlier visits?
Aamir Khan: I found the people very warm and friendly.
Thats something I can say straight away. But I have to say
that I was very much limited to the festival this time, be-
cause I was trying to stay just within those films that I was
supposed to watch. I didnt even get to visit Berlin. My wife
did travel quite a bit she managed to see Berlin to a cer-
tain extent. I didnt at all, because of my responsibility as a
juror. My wife went and saw some of the museums and art
and architecture, and she was praising it a lot. She said, I
wish youd come with me. So certainly I would like to go
back, this time just to visit and see Berlin and experience
it better.
M
/ aamir stars in germany
d
p
a
- - -
Tanushree Sengupta, a communication professional, works at the
German Information Centre in New Delhi
53
a
r
n
e
d
e
k
n
e
g
t
,
n
o
b
l
e
b
r
o
n
z
e
,
f
r
o
m
t
h
e
s
e
r
i
e
s
d
h
a
r
a
v
i
m
e
n
s
w
e
a
r
c
o
l
l
e
c
t
i
o
n
,
2
0
1
1
,
d
i
g
i
t
a
l
,
p
u
b
l
i
s
h
e
d
i
n
p
i
x
v
o
l
2
,
m
a
y
2
0
1
1
CULTURE
n image is born, but photographs are taken ,
exposed, amended and sometimes framed.
The relationship between photos and images is
imaginably similar to the way words and ideas
are shaped to create legitimate meaning. Simi-
larly, if this is the ethics of our engagement with the world
through a lens, then we are in fact treating it for a purpose,
composing its elements, developing a measured view, and
more often than not, dealing with a visual lexicon.
Photography is now a field we can access in order to trace
histories, gender equations, politics and aesthetics, so much
so that it is a cultural component by virtue of reflecting
a moment in time. We hold a picture in our hands, view it
on a wall or otherwise, see it illuminated on a screen. This
equation with pictures represents an interface with life; a
mode of operation that will allow us to look across borders
and barriers, simulate realities, reorient focal points, and
often forge reality in a manner that resonates outside the
frame.
With their unwavering support of a photography quarterly
titled PIX, Goethe-Institut Max Mueller Bhavan (MMB)
has also taken a step towards questioning the true import of
reality in photographs together with a group composed of
artist collectives, practitioners and enthusiasts, who share
an inquisitive bent for images and how they form composite
sites for investigating existences within the contemporary.
The title PIX manifests due homage to an organisation of
photographers by its namesake in New York in the 1930s.
Many of them, now reputed, would go on to provide images
for Life Magazine. The quarterly is meant as an honest invo-
cation to their relentless spirit for hunting down images ,
seeking to reach out to a wider world of readers and viewers,
and if possible, find a throbbing pulse of the modern world.
In a gesture to address a network of images, and how they
constitute an exchange of identities, PIX is eager to investi-
gate and engage with broad and expansive fields of contem-
porary photographic practice in India and outside, ranging
from the application, conceptual standing and adaptabil-
ity of photography to its subjects: its movement, transmis-
sion, appropriation and distinct relation to the allied arts.
The structure for PIX will be consciously based on practices,
technologies, curating and circulations of photography in
India and outside today. Photography has come to be viewed
as a means of the everyday, in possessing the power to influ-
ence us and even lead us astray. Images are now animated
beings, with desires of their own. For example, the city as
geographic and abstract space plays an important role by be-
ing the subject of reportage or the motivation behind com-
missioned work. The city is itself a living being, and a gallery
space. How do photographers use it? Roy Sinai, a Bangalore-
based photographer who contributed to the first issues
- - -
Max Mueller Bhavan engages with contemporary photographic practice in India
/ text: rahaab allana
A
/ beyond image
55
a
r
n
e
d
e
k
n
e
g
t
,
b
u
z
z
i
n
g
d
h
a
r
a
v
i
,
f
r
o
m
t
h
e
s
e
r
i
e
s
h
u
m
a
n
i
s
i
n
g
t
h
e
m
a
c
h
i
n
e
,
2
0
1
1
,
d
i
g
i
t
a
l
,
p
u
b
l
i
s
h
e
d
i
n
p
i
x
v
o
l
2
,
m
a
y
2
0
1
1
CULTURE
- - -
Rahaab Allana is editor of PIX: A Photography Quarterly, curator
and founder of Alkazi Foundation for the Arts, New Delhi.
theme of PIX Suburbia , underscores the importance of us-
ing spaces as a means of expression that may connect outside
the fetters of region or locale. In these images , he explains,
I choose to see the gasping silence left behind, as a homo-
geneous suburbia confident, vibrant, brash and unrelent-
ing gets belched out of city centres and urban hinterlands
alike, across Indias metros. Surrounded as many urban
dwellers in India today are, by perpetually unsettled, churn-
ing spaces, I too watch the transient become permanent.
Drawing from another interesting recent exhibition, curated
by Sunil Gupta at the Max Mueller Bhavan, entitled Photo-
graphing the Metropolitan , Berlin-born Verena Jaekel in-
teracts with Sandip Kuriakose from the Delhi College of Art.
The juxtaposition of such images is deliberate: documentary
mode and digital photo-collage, creating a disjuncture in
both. Jaekels uncanny photos of an emerging Delhi Metro
and Kuriakoses RisePowerFall series show how spaces and
bodies resist and entwine in what seems a forceful drive
against the self in being contained, by either culture or the
frame of the image. As a mirror image, the city seems to lurk
in the background of metamorphosing structures, pushing
people out of the frames, growing as self-seeking entities.
The city cowers in their presence, but they too are swallowed
in what is called the Metropolitan. These are, perhaps, re-
flections of an anxiety drawn upon the seamless movements
in the state of art , where the art is in fact the state.
Curator Sunil Gupta intimates how the construction of
spaces and indeed these very frames is not bound by the idea
of place. The witnessing of such moments and the recording
of them on film, either as cinema or photography, and show-
ing them as projections or as graphic art on the printed page,
has a long history going back to the Russian revolution and
the birth of cinematic montage in Sergei Eisensteins Battle-
ship Potemkin (1925) and artists like Alexander Rodchenko.
These ideas quickly moved westward and were expanded in
Germany between the two world wars by film makers like
Fritz Lang, and photographers like August Sander who docu-
mented these great shifts, explicates Gupta.
Over the last three years, Max Mueller Bhavan New Delhi had
a couple of curious exchanges with art for example: 48C ,
the first international public art project in Delhi (2008),
MMBs all over India celebration of their 50 years presence in
India (2009), the launch of the arts management programme
ARThinkSouthAsia , designed to help develop skills and
networks of potential leaders in the cultural sector of South
Asia (2010). Regarding future activities, Robin Mallick,
MMBs Director Cultural Programmes South Asia adds, No
doubt, there is a substantial representation of Indian culture
in Germany, for example, through the German-Indian Soci-
ety e.V. (DIG) and its network of more than 30 local associa-
tions who closely work with the Tagore Centre at the Indian
Embassy Berlin. The Days of Germany in India 2011-2013 will
offer excellent opportunities to promote cultural exchange
between India and Germany furthermore.
Leading from here, one of the most compelling archives in
Berlin that enhances this connection is located at the Asian
Art Museum. It houses some of the most important 19th and
early 20th century prints from India. Already produced as a
publication, some of the images have been drawn from the
archives to project the life in Kashmir through the eyes of
one of the early picturesque photographers in India, Samuel
Borne. But this endeavour is not a solitary one, with exciting
plans to project Indian culture though photography more
directly in the Photography Museum in Berlin, next year.
CULTURE / beyond image
CULTURE
/ text: meera menezes
- - -
Indias biggest art mela,
the India Art Summit, attracted
German Galleries.
- - -
Meera Menezes is the Delhi correspondent of Art India, a magazine
on contemporary Indian art. She has been involved with the Indian
contemporary arts scene since the late 80s and was the liaison per-
son in India for the Amsterdam-based Foundation for Indian Art-
ists (F. I. A).
he buzz in the air was palpable. The 3rd edition of Indias
largest modern and contemporary art fair, the India Art
Summit, was like a giant beehive: energised and humming
with activity. Held from 21st to 23rd January in New Delhi,
the event offered a platform to showcase not just the best and
most edgy Indian contemporary art but also a representation
of artists from across the globe.
Adding to the international flavour were undoubtedly a string
of established German galleries, who regarded the fair as a
chance not only to tap into the Indian market but also to
go beyond and forge deeper connections with the Indian art
scene. While for some this was their second participation at
the much awaited art event of the year, others were making
their debut.
First time participants, Die Gallerie from Frankfurt, certainly
grabbed eyeballs with their display of French Pop artist Robert
Combass monumental sculpture in synthetic resin, titled Le
Pot de jambs en bouquet de pieds et le mollets . A flowerpot-
like structure from which some attractive female legs stuck
out, the work certainly ushered in a whiff of the Moulin Rouge.
The gallery also juxtaposed the works of established Euro-
pean artists like Pablo Picasso, Joan Miro, Andre Masson and
Salvador Dali with young contemporary German artists. This
gave Indian viewers the opportunity to get acquainted with
the paintings by Volker Stelzmann of the renowned School of
Leipzig along with his master students Torsten Holz and FD
Schlemme.
Also on display were works by sculptor Dietrich Klinge, while
an Indian touch was lent by Klaus Zyllas mixed media on can-
vas titled Indian Drapery . Judging by the number of visitors
thronging the stall, it was clear that the gallery had managed
to awaken the curiosity of the Indian art loving public for
contemporary German art. Die Galleries owner Peter Femfert
was quite euphoric over the response I am really happy about
the great interest shown here. It is extraordinary. There is an
energy and a great hunger to learn and see.
This was an opinion echoed by fair director Neha Kripal.
The key lesson we learnt at the art fair this year was the over-
whelming interest people have to see art in public places. With
1,28,000 visitors to the art fair from 17 cities across India in
three and a half days, we all saw the potential of this mass in-
terest in art; with school children buzzing around the art fair,
visitors curiously following the curated walks and others buy-
ing their first ever artwork, she said.
The other newcomer to the Summit was the Hamburg-based
gallery Flo Peters. Unlike Die Gallerie, however, it decided to
follow a different approach by concentrating on just one art-
ist, putting up a solo show of Albert Watsons photographs.
Watson, one of the worlds most successful fashion and
EYE
-
CATCHER T
commercial photographer, certainly attracted a number of
visitors, who were eager to familiarise themselves with an art-
ist they clearly did not know too much about.
For the gallery owner, Flo Peters, the decision to participate in
the Summit was to keep herself abreast with the latest devel-
opments in other parts of the world. She wanted to get first-
hand experience of the booming Asian art scene, having heard
about the global success of Indian artists. While the sales and
organisation of the fair may not have quite met her expecta-
tions, she was happy to have got a glimpse of the range of In-
dian art on display and was enthused by the work of at least
one Indian contemporary artist Vivek Vilasini.
Indian artists were also a favourite with the Duesseldorf-
based gallery Beck & Eggeling, who were participating in the
Summit for the second time. Buoyed by the interest that they
encountered at the India Art Summit in 2009 and the encour-
aging sales of art works, they decided to return. Their portfo-
lio included a mix of well-know European artists and artists
from Asia. So all time favourites Pablo Picasso, Marc Chagall,
George Braque showed cheek-by-jowl with Indian artists Vi-
veek Sharma, Sonia Mehra Chawla and Desmond Lazaro.
For Katja Ott of Beck & Eggeling, the fair offered not just a
chance to sell works but also to network with the international
art community at large. The gallerys long-standing interest
in Indian art and artists is also mirrored in the fact that all the
three Indian artists they represent have had solo shows with
them in Germany. Viveek Sharma was invited to show in Dues-
seldorf in 2010 and Sonia Mehra Chawla displayed her works
at the end of May 2011.
While this might be a case of German galleries putting their
trust in Indian artists, the reverse also holds true. Ranjana
Mirchandani, the owner of Mirchandani + Steinruecke, has
exhibited works not just by the young German artist Norbert
Bisky in 2008 but also by the more celebrated Sigmar Polke at
her gallery premises last year.
There is clearly a deepening of relationships between the In-
dian and German art communities which is being fostered by
private initiatives. The India Art Summit is certainly one plat-
form where art lovers from the two countries can engage and
learn more about each other. As Peter Femfert summed it up,
I am really happy about the great success of the fair. I am also
delighted by the enthusiasm and work put in by director Neha
Kripal and her team. I will definitely return.
t
o
r
s
t
e
n
h
o
l
t
z
,
d
r
e
s
s
u
r
,
2
0
1
0
/ eyecatcher
- - -
the Chandigarh Museum has exquisite lithographs of the journey of
Prince Waldemar of Prussia to India in 1844 46
/ text: jutta jain-neubauer
CULTURE
rince Waldemar of Prussia (1817 1849) was a
remarkable person in many respects. Though he
went through the customary military training
and received the highest accolades for his brav-
ery and military service, his actions were driven
by an insatiable desire to explore the natural phenomena,
to venture into the unknown world, and to understand the
cultures of the Other. From a young age, he was in touch
with the senior and world-renowned scientist and explorer
Alexander von Humboldt (1769 1859), who fondly charac-
terised him as follows, A deep admiration for the beauty
of nature, an inner longing for achieving something Great
and to explore distant lands, might have prompted the
young Prince to travel to East-India. It was the admiration
for von Humboldts adventurous life and field-research in
the Americas that further encouraged the young Prince to
embark on a trip to India. Equipped with an inquiring mind
and the latest technological devices to study geography, ge-
ology and f lora, Prince Waldemar started his expedition
in September 1844, accompanied by botanist and medical
doctor Dr. Werner Hoffmeister and others.
The group reached Calcutta in January 1845 via Athens,
Egypt, and Ceylon. Other destinations of their field stud-
ies included Patna, Kathmandu, Benaras, Delhi, Nainital,
as well as the regions of the Himalayas up to Tibet. But
it was not only scientific explorations that they encoun-
tered. They also happened to be drawn into the midst of the
Anglo-Sikh Wars of 1845-46 at Ferozeshah, Mudki and So-
braon, where Dr. Werner Hoffmeister, only 26 years of age,
was killed in battle. Leaving Bombay on 20 October 1845,
Prince Waldemar returned to Berlin, where he arrived on
13 June 1846, only to hear about his mothers death just a
few weeks before.
While in India, Prince Waldemar wrote a comprehensive
diary, many notes and essays elaborating his observations
and ideas, and numerous letters to his parents, which bear
witness to his distinguished and inquisitive character.
Prince Waldemar was most happy to explore different lo-
cales on his own. Being of royal descent, he was given spe-
cial security personnel by the British high command, which
he usually considered rather annoying. When he once tried
to sneak out of his room to stroll through the native ba-
zaar in Calcutta, his Butler caught him and suggested that
he saddle the horses and prepare the carriage for him. The
Prince requested to be left alone, but his guardian insisted
on doing his assigned duties. Waldemar angrily shouted at
him, which had the desired effect, followed by his guard-
ian's contemptuous and scornful glances. Prince Waldemar
writes further, I was more than happy to get rid of this use-
less attendant, and enjoyed going out anonymously. It is
such a pleasure for me to stroll around in unknown towns
and to observe the hustle and bustle in the local streets and
markets. And if this appeals to me in Europe, how much
more in this country, where I encounter hundreds of new
exciting images at every step.
The outcome of this trip was not only innumerable notes,
essays and observations on the cultural, historical, social
and political scenery of India, which are extremely valuable
because they consist of first-hand scientific data, but also a
valuable collection of Indian arms and armoury, which was
passed on to the Prussian Museum in Berlin, and a com-
prehensive herbarium of plants collected and meticulously
pressed and annotated by Dr. Hoffmeister. The herbarium
included 456 species, of which 108 were newly-discovered,
and 270 botanical genera. Two famous botanists, Dr. Fried-
rich Klotzsch and Dr. August Garcke, were hired to work on
the material collected in India. They compiled a pioneer-
ing magnum opus entitled Die Botanischen Ergebnisse der
Reise seiner kniglichen Hoheit des Prinzen Waldemar von
Preussen in den Jahren 1845 und 1846 . This truly won-
derful work was published in Berlin in 1862, sixteen years
after Waldemar returned from India. In commemoration
of Waldemar, who died in 1849, some plants which were
hitherto unknown in botanical circles were named after
him, for example Waldemaria Argentea and Diospyros
Waldermarii.
Waldemar was a keen and talented artist, and while in In-
dia, he made hundreds and hundreds of fine sketches and
watercolours, depicting landscapes, village life, monu-
ments or the adventures of the Anglo-Sikh battles. These
were skillfully turned into lithographs by the most well
known lithographers of the time in Berlin, Ferdinand Bell-
ermann and Hermann Kretzschmer, who were both famil-
iar with the visual vocabulary of distant and remote regions
on account of previous journeys to Southern America and
the Orient. Alexander von Humboldt admired these works
as endowed with life and artistic value . Some of these
wonderful lithographs, based on the paintings of Prince
Waldemar of Prussia, belong to the collection of the Mu-
seum in Chandigarh and are displayed there.
- - -
Jutta Jain-Neubauer is an art-historian writing on Indian mini-
ature painting, history of Indian textiles and other aspects of
Indian art. Since 2006 she has been writing the column Did you
know that . . . on lesser known aspects of Indo-German cultural
relations.
/ did you know that. . .
DID YOU
KNOW THAT...
P
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
top: Outpost near Sobraon. The Battle of Sobraon was fought
on 10th February 1846, between the forces of the British East
India Company and the Sikh Khalsa Army.
n
i
g
l
i
c
h
e
s
l
i
t
h
o
g
r
a
f
i
s
c
h
e
s
i
n
s
t
i
t
u
t
z
u
b
e
r
l
i
n
left: Afghan attendance of Major Broadfoot near Mudki.
right: Outpost near Sobraon.
/ / / german news / volume 52 / issue no. 1 / august 2011 59 58 / / / german news / volume 52 / issue no. 1 / august 2011
COMI NG UP
ME&MYMUM BY SAMI R AKI KA
23 September 29 September
The ensemble production by Samir Akika is dedicated
to the many facets of the mother-child relationship
and combines a virtuoso pathos and humour with film
quotes, dynamic dance and theatrical elements. The
work plays radically with clichs and stereotypes and
gives solid ground to strong emotions. Me&myMum is
dedicated to Akikas mentor and the mother of German
dance theatre, Pina Bausch.
www.germany-and-india.com/program
I T S ALL RHEYDT
2 October 6 October 2011
The legendary House u r by the famous German art-
ist Gregor Schneider, awarded with the Golden Lion at
the Biennale in Venice in 2001, will be reconstructed
by local craftsmen and integrated into the Durga Puja
Festival in Kolkata. In the original House u r , Schnei-
der created movable replicas of the existing rooms by
building complete rooms inside of other rooms.
MERCK PHI LHARMONI C ORCHESTRA
23 September 5 October 2011
The powerful and dynamic orchestra consisting of
up to 80 musicians performs Ludwig van Beethovens
Leonoren-Overture Nr. 3, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozarts
Flute Concert Nr. 2 D major and Johannes Brahms
Symphony Nr. 3 F major on a tour through India. The
Merck Philharmonic Orchestra was founded by the
Merck family, which set up the world's oldest pharma-
ceutical and chemical company.
I NDI A GOES 3D!
1 November 30 November 2011
Berlin Music Commission, c/o pop (Cologne) and their
partners in India bring together German and Indian
electronic music artists who explore new spaces for their
performances along with workshops and competitions.
Events will take place in Delhi, Mumbai and Bangalore.
RI VER YAMUNA AND ELBE
10 November 24 November 2011
The project focuses on ecological, cultural, historic
and economic implications of the river on the cities of
Delhi and Hamburg. Contemporary Indian, German
and international artists show their works at, on and
around the rivers Yamuna and Elbe in public spaces,
bringing various issues facing the cities into public
discussions.
FUTURE DI ALOGUE
24 September 2011
This unique international conference, themed Sus-
tainable Cities: Mastering the Challenges and Oppor-
tunities of Rapid Urbanisation , will look at how cities
in fast-growing developing countries like India are
tackling the combined challenges of facilitating eco-
nomic growth, while controlling both the environmen-
tal and social impact of rapid development.

www.future-dialogue.org
PASSAGEWAY OVERGOI NG
17 December 2011 13 January 2012
Wolfgang Laib concentrates his work on few materials:
pollen, milk, beeswax, marble, rice and sealing wax.
Significant works are part of the collection of the
MoMA New York. Galerie Mirchandani & Steinrcke in
cooperation with Goethe-Institute Mumbai will show
some of Laibs auratic installations .

www.ifa.de/en/exhibitions/exhibitions-abroad/bk/laib
1 September 30 December 2011
The 18 photographers from the photography agency
OSTKREUZ present their work in an exhibition that
searches for the essence of present-day urban reali-
ties in the form of a long-term photographic project
documenting urban growth and decay in 22 cities
worldwide. The exhibition will travel from Hyderabad
(September) to Chennai (October), Delhi (November)
and Kolkata (December).
THE CI T Y BECOMI NG AND DECAYI NG
The German Information Centre South Asia (GIC) is a Public
Diplomacy initiative of the German Foreign Ministry. GICs
social media presence on Facebook (www.facebook.com/ger-
maninfo) offers information and insights on Germany and
its role and relations with South Asia. The site also provides
up-to-date news about what is going on in Germany the lat-
est in politics, opportunities for work, business and higher
education, research and innovation, travel destinations and
cultural events.
I MPRI NT PHOTO CREDI TS
For subscription to our weekly newsletter please write to:
facebook@newd.diplo.de
NEWS ABOUT GERMANY & SOUTH ASI A
ON THE I NTERNET AT GI C
Editor: Jens Urban
Managing Editor: Yvonne Krause

Editor, Publisher and Printer: Jens Urban on behalf of
the Press and Information Office, Embassy of the
Federal Republic of Germany, 6/50 G Shanti Path,
New Delhi 110021 India.
Circulation: 76,000
Translation: Anya Malhotra / Anu Pande
Design: Groupe Dejour, Berlin, Germany
(www.groupe-dejour.de)
Art Directon: Groupe Dejour
Fonts: Port by Groupe Dejour and Arnhem by Ourtype

Printed at: HT Burda Media Limited
Plot No. 8, Udyog Vihar
Greater Noida
The articles published in German News do not
necessarily express the views of the German Embassy.
All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part
without permission is strictly prohibited.
Next issue of the German News: Fall / Winter 2011
For subscription to our magazine please write to:
info@new-delhi.diplo.de
Cover
page 1 Mbius strip by CoDESIGN, edited by Groupe Dejour Berlin (www.groupe-dejour.de)
Editorial
page 5 German Embassy
Content
page 6 (left) dpa / page 6 (right) Mbius strip by CoDESIGN, edited by Groupe Dejour Berlin
page 7 (left) Volkswagen / page 7 (right) DIE GALERIE
Shots
page 8/9 Leo Seidel / OSTKREUZ
page 10/11 Andreas Muhs / OSTKREUZ
New Standard
page 13 Reuters
page 15 dpa
Germany + India
page 16 Mbius strip by CoDESIGN, edited by Groupe Dejour Berlin
Greater Efficiency, Less Emission
page 18 dpa
Low-Carbon Growth
page 22/23/24/25 Patrick Pleul / dpa
page 25 Infographic: Groupe Dejour Berlin (www.groupe-dejour.de) Source: Low Carbon
Strategies for Inclusive Growth, Interim Report, May 2011
Young, Attractive and Successful
page 26/27 Arcelormittal
Translation Sells
page 28/29/30/31 dcb, Pratham Books (Book covers), edited by Groupe Dejour Berlin
Filling the Skills Gap
page 34 Infographic: Groupe Dejour Berlin (www.groupe-dejour.de) Source: IMaCS analysis
View from the other side
page 38/39 Image Source / Miho Miho / dpa
Cultures of Disaster
page 40/41/42/43 Kazemuddin (Kazu) Ahmed
Mission Sustainability
page 44/45/46 Thomas Meyer / OSTKREUZ
Notepad
page 48 (top) GIZ / Ostermeier
page 48 (bottom) Ina Kim
page 49 Daimler
Aamir stars in Germany
page 50/51 Patrick Seeger / dpa
Beyond Image
page 52/53/54/55 Arne de Knegt
Eye-Catcher
page 56 Torsten Holtz, Dressur; 2010 / DIE GALERIE
Did you know that ...
page 58 Knigliches lithografisches Institut zu Berlin
Coming up
page 60 (top left) Andrej Krementschouk / OSTKREUZ
page 60 (top right) Ralf Emmerich
page 60 (bottom left) Gregor Schneider
page 60 (bottom right) Reuters
page 61 (top left) Brigitte Schneider
page 61 (top right) Reuters
page 61 (bottom left) Reuters
page 61 (bottom right) Wolfgang Laib
Imprint
page 62 IStockphoto
3B Scientic
Products
Further information under:
www.3Bscientific.com
Realistic
Training with
P57
P50
P10
R
N
I

N
o
.

4
5
8
7
/
5
9

Germany + India Translation Sells New Standard

Diunggah oleh

Informasi Dokumen

Judul Asli

Hak Cipta

Format Tersedia

Bagikan dokumen Ini

Bagikan atau Tanam Dokumen

Opsi Berbagi

Apakah menurut Anda dokumen ini bermanfaat?

Apakah konten ini tidak pantas?

Hak Cipta:

Format Tersedia

Germany + India Translation Sells New Standard

Diunggah oleh

Hak Cipta:

Format Tersedia

the magazine on indo-german relations

Anda mungkin juga menyukai