Schlagwort-Archive: GIRT Event

Press Release: Grassroot Innovations Open New Avenues for Indo-German Collaboration

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GIRT sees the fourth India Week Hamburg as an ideal platform to further boost bilateral relations

Hamburg (11.10.2011): India has emerged as a hotbed for low-cost, frugal innovations. Buoyed by the entrepreneurial spirit of India’s large private sector and a growing middle class, firms of all sizes and nationalities with a base in India have churned out several affordable and innovative products. “Aakash”, the latest tablet PC priced at about € 35, which has been recently launched in India is an excellent example of such ideas and business model innovations emanating from the Subcontinent.

Many local users in India’s rural areas come up with inventions that are not only innovative and useful but also less expensive than the usual solutions available in the market. Another important feature of grassroot innovations is that they are generally environment friendly and in sync with the given infrastructural conditions. Examples of such innovations include water-based cooling systems that do not require electricity, or non-sticky frying pans made of earth.

Interestingly, India’s emergence as “innovation hub” for low-cost, frugal innovations, often directed at the bottom of the economic pyramid have gone hand-in-hand with increasing exports of engineering goods made in India. The volume of India’s export of engineering goods has increased more than 10-fold in the past 15 years, reaching nearly $ 70 billion. Germany alone imported engineering goods worth $ 11 billion from India in the last fiscal year.

“We see India rapidly emerging as a lead market for frugal innovations”, says Rajnish Tiwari, Head of German-Indian Round Table (GIRT) in Hamburg. Tiwari, who in his capacity as leader of “Research Project Global Innovation” at the Hamburg University of Technology (TUHH) has done extensive studies on India’s innovative capacities and Indo-German business relations, sees the suitability of India’s frugal technologies extending especially to markets in South Asia, Africa and Latin America, where many countries have similar socio- economic and geographical structures. He advocates German firms’ participation to realize what his colleague Dr. Stephan Buse from TUHH calls is a “win-win proposition”.

TUHH and GIRT have therefore decided to hold a symposium on the theme of “Grassroot Innovations: New Opportunities for Indo-German Cooperation?” to explore the possibility of joint commercialization of innovations coming from India’s both formal and non-formal sectors. Grassroot innovations in India have been supported and popularized by untiring and inspiring efforts of Prof. Anil Gupta of Honey Bee Network. Several renowned experts, including Prof. Gupta, will participate in a symposium on 20th October 2011 at the Hamburg Chamber of Commerce. The symposium is being held as a part of the fourth “India Week Hamburg”. GIRT, along with its partners, is co-organizing the following events during the India Week:

We invite all interested persons and firms to participate in these events. The participation is free of charge but requires a prior registration for organizational reasons. All further information can be accessed via:

www.girt-hamburg.de

www.global-innovation.net

Download this press release as PDF

About German-Indian Round Table (GIRT)

The German-Indian Round Table (GIRT) was founded by Rudolf Weiler in 2001 and forms a loose federation of businessmen and entrepreneurs with strong ties and interests in India. GIRT’s objective is to inform about India and to strengthen Indo-German business relations. GIRT’s local chapters are organised regularly in Aachen, Berlin, Düsseldorf, Frankfurt, Hamburg, Hanover, Leipzig/Halle, Munich, Nuremberg, Stuttgart in Germany and New Delhi/Gurgaon, Pune and Coimbatore in India. GIRT connects about 3,000 people from the Indo-German business community. The Chairman, as well as the respective heads of local sections, of GIRT work on an honorary basis. Since February 2010 Dr. Andreas Waldraff from Berlin is the chairman of GIRT.

The Hamburg Chapter of GIRT is headed by Mr. Rajnish Tiwari from Hamburg University of Technology (TU Hamburg-Harburg). Mr. Tiwari works there as a Research Associate at the Institute for Technology and Innovation Management and leads the Research Project “Global Innovation” (www.global-innovation.net). He has done extensive research on Indo-German business relations and is a co-initiator of the India Week in Hamburg (www.indiaweek.hamburg.de). Further information about GIRT in Hamburg can be accessed at: www.girt-hamburg.de.

India Week in Hamburg (www.indiaweek.hamburg.de)

Kontakt GIRT Hamburg:

Rajnish Tiwari
GIRT Hamburg
c/o TU Hamburg-Harburg
Institut TIM (W-7)
Schwarzenbergstr. 95
D-21073 Hamburg

Tel. +49 (0)40-42878 3776
Fax +49 (0)40-42878 2869
E-Mail: tiwari@tuhh.de

Pressekontakt GIRT:

Sven Andressen
Redaktion GIRT-Blatt
c/o Indien Aktuell Business Düsseldorf/Bremen
Post: Kaiserswerther Markt 51
D-40489 Düsseldorf, Germany

Tel. +49 (0)421-51660465
Fax +49 (0)421-51660466
Mobile +49 (0)179-60811602
E-Mail: sa@indienaktuell.de

Pressekontakt India Week:

Johannes Freudewald
Büro für Medienarbeit
Post: Osterstr. 58
D-20259 Hamburg, Germany

Tel. +49 (0)40-37420352
Fax +49 (0)40-37420353
Mobile +49 (0)176-43005016
E-Mail: johannes@freudewald.de

„GIRT Hamburg goes Bremen“: Einladung zur nächsten Veranstaltung am 1.11.2011

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Der German-Indian Round Table (GIRT) Hamburg lädt recht herzlich zu seinem nächsten Treffen ein, das wie jedes Jahr im November gemeinsam mit dem Ländernetzwerk Indien in Bremen stattfindet und zwar

am Dienstag, den 1. November 2011 um 18.00 Uhr,

im Club zu Bremen, Haus Schütting, Am Markt 13 in 28195 Bremen.
…
An diesem Abend wird uns zunächst Frau Cornelia Kunze, Geschäftsführerin von Edelman Deutschland, über „PR Strategien für die Einführung internationaler Marken in Indien: Erfahrungen eines deutsch-indischen Managementaustausches“ informieren.

Anschließend berichtet das Career Center der Universität Bremen, Frau Richter (angefragt), über deren Aktivitäten und Veranstaltungen auch mit Blick auf den indischen Markt.

Aus organisatorischen Gründen bitte ich um eine Anmeldung bis zum 25. Oktober 2011. Sende Sie Ihre Anmeldungen bitte direkt an Frau Reinkensmeier (Reinkensmeier@handelskammer-bremen.de).

Beste Grüße und vielleicht bis bald auf der India Week Hamburg
Rajnish Tiwari

Indien Aktuell: GIRT-Hamburg beteiligt sich stark an der India Week Hamburg 2011

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Der German Indian Round Table (GIRT) ist einer der Initiatoren der India Week Hamburg und auch dieses Jahr an der Organisation von fünf Wirtschaftsveranstaltungen beteiligt oder selbst Veranstalter.

Gleich bei der Auftaktveranstaltung „Aktuelle Trends im Indien-Geschäft“ ist der GIRT Hamburg zusammen mit der Handelskammer Hamburg (HK Hamburg), dem Ostasiatischen Verein (OAV) und der Deutsch-Indischen Handelskammer (AHK Indien) mit dabei. Diese Veranstaltung und der nachfolgende Senatsempfang leiten eine lange
Reihe von zehn informativen und breit gefächerten wirtschaftsbezogenen Fachveranstaltungen während der India Week Hamburg ein.
Grassroots Innovations – Erfindungen, die niemand erwartet hatte, eine Chance geben

Als besonderes Highlight kann die am 20. Oktober 2011 stattfindende „Grassroot Innovations: Neue Geschäftsmöglichkeiten in der deutsch-indischen Zusammenarbeit?“
gelten. In Zusammenarbeit mit der Technischen Universität Hamburg-Harburg, dem GIRT, der National Innovation Foundation Ahmedabad, der HK Hamburg und Mahindra Satyam als Sponsor wird ein Thema behandelt, das einen gemeinsamen Nenner zwischen globalisierter Wirtschaft und lokaler, ländlicher Entwicklung in Indien sucht. Stargast ist Prof. Anil Gupta, der in Indien über die Dörfer zieht, immer auf der Suche nach neuen „Grassroot Innovations“. Der Hamburger GIRT-Leiter Rajnish Tiwari führt aus: „In den ländlichen Regionen Indiens lassen sich viele dieser neuartigen und äußerst nützlichen ‚wurzelnahen’ Innovationen finden. Sie bestechen dadurch, dass sie deutlich günstiger als bereits auf dem Markt erhältliche Lösungen sind, ein hohes Maß an Umweltverträglichkeit aufweisen und im Einklang mit den zum Teil schwierigen Umweltbedingungen der sie nutzenden Menschen sind. Beispielhaft seien hier Wasser-basierte Kühlungssysteme,
die ohne Elektrizität auskommen, oder nicht haftende Bratpfannen aus Lehm genannt.“
Das Symposium wird von einem Bildvortrag von zwei Hamburger Journalisten eingeleitet, die Anil Gupta auf seinem Fußweg durch Indiens Dörfer begleitet haben. Rajnish Tiwari, der auch an der TUHH zu deutsch-indischen Wirtschaftsthemen forscht, wies nicht ohne Stolz auf einen seiner Studenten hin: „Anup Karath Nair hat mit zwei Mitstudenten genau zu dem Thema Grassroot Innovations einen Businessplan entwickelt, der mit einem Wissenschaftspreis von Erasmus ausgezeichnet wurde. Mit Prof. Anil Gupta haben wir zudem den Initiator des Grassroots-Konzepts gewinnen können, das auf unserer Veranstaltung behandelt wird.“

Vier weitere Programmpunkte während der India Week Hamburg 2011 finden mit Beteiligung von GIRT-Aktiven statt. Bei „Neuer Osten – Neue Mächte: Wachstumsmotor Asien“ am 18.10.2011, „Food Processing: Marktchancen für Indien“ am 19.10.2011 und „Indien als Beschaffungsmarkt“ am 24.10.2011 wird Dr. Dietrich Kebschull vom GIRT in Delhi mitwirken. Rudolf Weiler, ehemaliger Leiter des GIRT Hamburg, ist am interkulturellen Seminar „Tanz mit dem Tiger“ beteiligt, bei dem er in der Diskussionsrunde seine reichen Erfahrungen in der deutsch-indischen Arbeits- und Geschäftswelt einbringt.

Mit der Beteiligung des Hamburger GIRT-Leiters Rajnish Tiwari an der gesellschaftspolitischen Veranstaltung „Europas Verhältnis zu Indien: Neue Impulse für die Zusammenarbeit demokratischer Staaten“ am 18.10.2011, die vom GIRT und der Europa-Union Hamburg e. V. organisiert wird, sieht der GIRT über den Tellerrand der Wirtschaft hinaus.
Weitere Informationen zum German Indian Round Table (GIRT) in Hamburg und die Hinweise auf Veranstaltungen und Termine des GIRT in Hamburg und in 13 weiteren Städten in Deutschland und Indien finden sich unter www.girt.de und www.girt-hamburg.de.

Quelle: Hamburg_Week_2011_S37

Grassroot Innovations: New Opportunities for Indo-German Cooperation?

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India Week Hamburg 2011

[Grassroot Event] [GIRT Events]

[Background] [Event Concept] [Agenda] [Venue & Date] [Registration] [Partners] [Downloads]

Background

source: rediff.comLast few years have seen the rise of several new and dynamic paradigms in innovation management, e.g. the “Bottom of the Pyramid” (BOP) or “Frugal Innovations”. These seek to motivate firms to develop affordable and good-quality products for rural and/or poor customers especially in developing economies. Such ideas, though admirable in their own right, have in many instances however failed to fully appreciate and utilize the power of innovative ideas and the rich heritage of traditional knowledge emerging at “grassroots” from common people.

Rather than selling to poor, as BOP implies, Honey Bee Network – an initiative from India – insists on buying from people, helping them disseminate a lot of creative knowledge as public goods, and/or as platforms for collective co-creation of location specific solutions. “Poor people are not sink, but source of ideas, innovations and initiatives,” says Prof. Anil Gupta of the Indian Institute of Management (IIM) in Ahmedabad, in a thought-provoking statement (see a collection of media reports on grassroot innovations).

Source: ndtv.comMany local users in rural areas come up with inventions that are not only innovative and useful but also less expensive than the usual solutions available in the market. Another important feature of grassroot innovations is that they are generally environment friendly and in sync with the given infrastructural conditions. Examples of such innovations include water-based cooling systems that do not require electricity, or non-sticky frying pans made of earth. The idea of “grassroot innovations” has been popularized by untiring and inspiring efforts of Prof. Anil Gupta, winner of Star of Asia – Opinion Shaper award of ” Business Week” magazine in 2001 and called “Gandhi of Technology” by the reputed German magazine “Der Spiegel”. Grassroot innovations are being fostered by institutions like the National Innovation Foundation (NIF), SRISTI and the Honey Bee Network in India.

The Institute of Technology and Innovation Management at Hamburg University of Technology (TIM/TUHH) has recognized the potential of this paradigm, both, for the practice of innovation management in firms and for giving an impetus to Indo-German cooperation in fields of science & technology, and business. There are several studies currently under progress at TIM/TUHH to survey the potential implications of grassroots innovations.

Event Concept

TIM/TUHH, together with the German-Indian Round Table (GIRT) and some other partners, e.g. the National Innovation Foundation of India and the Hamburg Chamber of Commerce (see Partners), will hold a workshop during the India Week Hamburg 2011 to explore and demonstrate the vast cooperation opportunities for German firms, especially small and medium-sized ones, to assist the inventors with technical and marketing know-how. Mutual benefit can be found, for instance, in the giant domestic Indian market as well as in international marketing of such products in other corresponding markets of Africa, Latin America and Asia. In some cases, e.g. herbal medicines, it might even be possible to introduce the products in Germany or other developed countries. Prof. Anil Gupta is scheduled to deliver the keynote address and to participate in a panel discussion.

Agenda

The event will be inaugurated by Prof. Dr. Garabed Antranikian, President of the Hamburg University of Technology and Mrs. M. Subashini, the Hon’ble Consul General of India in Hamburg. We have confimed participation of Prof. Anil Gupta (National Innovation Foundation, Ahmedabad) and Prof. Luc Soete (UNU-MERIT, the Netherlands). For a complete list of speakers and the programme agenda please see:

Agenda (PDF, 61 KB) as on: 23.09.2011.

Venue & Date
Venue: Plenarsaal, Hamburg Chamber of Commerce

Date: Thursday, 20th October 2011, 12:00 – 18:00h.

Registration

The event is intended primarily for business firms, scientific and research community, institutional players and other interested person with an interest in the field of grassroot innovations, the so-called „Bottom of the Pyramid“, frugal engineering and in Indo-German an/or Indo-Euroean cooperation. Participation is free of charge. However, due to limited number of seats we require a binding pre-registration for the event. The registration will be possible between 5th September to 14th October. Please download the registration form (PDF, 460 KB) here and send it by e-mail (grassroot@tu-harburg.de) or fax (+49 (0)40 42878 2867) to us. Please note that owing to capacity constraints we might not be able to accept all the registrations and shall individually confirm the acceptance.

Event Partners

Organizers: Hamburg University of Technology (Institute for Technology and Innovation Management), German-Indian Round Table (GIRT) Hamburg, National Innovation Foundation (Ahmedabad/India), Hamburg Chamber of Commerce

Event Sponsor: Mahindra Satyam

Media Partner: Indien Aktuell

Cooperation Partner: Hamburg section of the German-Indian Society (Deutsch-Indische Gesellschaft e.V.)

Downloads

Event Description (English): PDF, 313 KB

Veranstaltungsbeschreibung (German): PDF, 275 KB

[Download India Week Flyer, PDF, approx. 4 MB] [Download Program Booklet, PDF, approx. 1.4 MB]

India Week Hamburg 2011: Events with Participation of German-Indian Round Table (GIRT) Hamburg

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India Week Hamburg 2011 Logo (English)GIRT

German-Indian Round Table (GIRT) Hamburg is one of the founding partners of the India Week in Hamburg. Since Feb. 2010 Rajnish Tiwari heads GIRT Hamburg in an honorary capacity and in this role he, and inter alia also TIM/TUHH, have the opportunity to make an even greater contribution to the India Week Hamburg. GIRT Hamburg, apart from being co-organizer of the India Week as a whole is also involved as host and/or partner of the following events this year:

  • Current Trends Concerning Business With India
    (Monday, 17.10.2011, 09:30 – 15:45, Handelskammer Hamburg, Albert Schäfer Saal)

    The Indian economy is witnessing above average growth – and you too can be a part of this growth story! Numerous sectors in India are planning huge investments to extend their capacities. This development offers interesting opportunities for companies in Hamburg as well. However, the Indian market is quite challenging, and companies should prepare themselves carefully.The inaugural event of the India Week in Hamburg this year will be organized jointly by the Hamburg Chamber of Commerce, the German Asia-Pacific Business Association (OAV), the German-Indian Round Table (GIRT) and the Indo-German Chamber of Commerce (IGCC). It will inform about recent developments in various sectors as well as about important changes in legal and taxation matters. The participants may expect valuable hints regarding market entry strategies, recruitment of qualified staff, cross-cultural aspects, and intellectual property regulations. Managers and practitioners from several renowned companies will share their experiences in diverse branches such as engineering, logistics and consumer goods.

  • Europe’s Relations with India: New Impulses for the Cooperation of Democratic States
    (Tuesday, 18.10.2011, 18:00 – 20:00, Museum für Kunst und Gewerbe, Spiegelsaal)

    The EU and India already enjoy a close relationship based on shared values and mutual respect. Ever since the first summit of the EU and India in Lisbon in the year of 2000, India’s relations with the EU have steadily intensified on a political, geopolitical and economic level, as well as in respect to trade policy. So what are the challenges, chances and expectations the EU and India have with regard to a strategic partnership in the era of the 21st century?[ Event Flyer, PDF, 1.3 MB ] [ Direct link to Event Partner Europa Union ]

  • Grassroot Innovations: New Opportunities für Indo-German Cooperation?
    (Thursday, 20.10.2011, 12:00 – 18:00, Handelskammer Hamburg – Plenarsaal)

    Many local users in rural areas come up with inventions that are not only innovative and useful but also less expensive than the usual solutions available in the market. Another important feature of grassroot innovations is that they are generally environment friendly and in sync with the given infrastructural conditions. Examples of such innovations include water-based cooling systems that do not require electricity. The idea of “grassroot innovations” has been popularized by untiring and inspiring efforts of Prof. Anil Gupta, called “Gandhi of Technology” by the reputed German magazine “Der Spiegel”. Grassroot innovations are being fostered by institutions like the National Innovation Foundation (NIF), SRISTI and the Honey Bee Network in India.The Institute of Technology and Innovation Management at Hamburg University of Technology, together with the Hamburg chapter of German-Indian Round Table (GIRT), will hold a symposium during the India Week Hamburg to explore and demonstrate the vast cooperation opportunities for German firms, especially small and medium-sized ones, to assist the inventors with technical and marketing know-how. Mutual benefit can be found, for instance, in the giant domestic Indian market as well as in international marketing of such products in other corresponding markets of Africa, Latin America and Asia. In some cases, e.g. herbal medicines, it might even be possible to introduce the products in Germany or other developed countries. Prof. Anil Gupta is scheduled to deliver the keynote address and to participate in a panel discussion. Other (cooperation-) partners of the event include the Hamburg Chamber of Commerce, National Innovation Foundation of India, the Hamburg chapter of German-Indian Society, and Mahindra Satyam.

    [ Direct link to the event ]

  • Dance with the Tiger – Intercultural Challenges Concerning Business with India
    (Thursday, 20.10.2011, 17:30 – 20:00, KWB Koordinierungsstelle Weiterbildung und Beschäftigung e.V., Haus der Wirtschaft, II. Stock)

    The Indian Tiger has awakened. Whoever wants to compete with him needs to sharpen his claws. For, as promising the predictions may be, progress reports of both German and Indian businessmen have shown: despite good preparation, several aspects between German-Indian cooperation often times turn out rather “differently” than expected… Together with various experts, businessmen and managers with the respective India-experience, carefully examine some success factors and stumbling blocks of German-Indian cooperation projects. Draw the necessary conclusions for entrepreneurial practice. Lecturers: Sujata Banerjee, Surja Bose, Surya Bose, Rudolf Weiler (requested) and more.

[Download India Week Flyer, PDF, approx. 4 MB]
[Download Program Booklet, PDF, apprx. 1.4 MB]