On May 22, 2025, at the invitation of Mr. Daniel Raja, Director of BVMW India, our CEO Jothishkumar Thekkoote attended the Indo-German MSME Conclave 2025 at the Hyatt Regency, Chennai. The conclave was organised by the Southern India Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SICCI) and BVMW, the German Association for Small and Medium-sized Businesses, together with Guidance Tamil Nadu.
The goal was simple: to build strategic, sustainable and scalable partnerships between the small and mid-sized business sectors of India and Germany.
Why the German Mittelstand matters
Speakers reminded the room that small and mid-sized companies make up 99% of German industry and employ more than half of the country’s workforce. With over 2,000 German companies already operating in India, and more than 33 lakh MSMEs in Tamil Nadu alone, the potential for partnership is large. Dr. Kathrin Misera-Lang, Consul General of Germany in Chennai, explained what makes the German Mittelstand special: family ownership across generations, long-term thinking and a strong focus on people.
She also shared optimism about the India-EU Free Trade Agreement, which could significantly boost trade between Tamil Nadu and Germany.
The challenges SMEs face
The theme address highlighted three hurdles that hold small businesses back: access to credit, adopting new technology and connecting to global supply chains. The message was clear: Tamil Nadu and Germany can solve these together by combining their strengths.
Conversations that matter
For Jothishkumar, the most valuable part of the day was meeting German business leaders in person. Highlights included a conversation with Mr. Thomas Dose, Managing Director of BMW Group Plant Chennai, one of the strongest examples of German engineering and Indian manufacturing working together, and with Mr. Peter Leible, Senior Advisor to Bundesliga International, on how German organisations are building partnerships in India.
Where Geesesquads fits
Technology came up again and again as the key to growth for small and mid-sized companies. That is the work we do every day. We help businesses in Europe and India build reliable digital products, modernise their existing systems and bring in AI safely, with experienced people guiding every step.
Since 2022, a European digital agency has tripled its project capacity with our dedicated engineering team in India.
Our thanks to SICCI, BVMW and Guidance Tamil Nadu for bringing both business communities together. We returned a year later for the 2nd Indo-German MSME Conclave 2026.
