Namaste. Moin.
It was a cold Berlin morning, fifty-two years ago. I stood beside my father at the Heerstraße war cemetery. Before us lay twelve Indian soldiers — men who never saw the freedom they fought for.
As the tricolour rose over their graves, I understood: freedom has a price. And the beneficiary was me.
The gift of freedom
It is the reason I have been able to pursue my dreams. To live freely. To speak my mind — even when my thoughts are different, unconventional and uncomfortable.
Freedom was never handed down. It was wrested from empires by ordinary people with extraordinary courage. Farmers. Students. Poets. Workers. They believed self-rule was not a luxury — it was a birthright.
Identity and responsibility
For someone like me — born of Indian heritage, shaped by over five decades in Germany — this day is more than a marker of history.
Liberty is not static. It must be nurtured. Defended. Reimagined — with every generation.
Just look at East Germany. Freedom came late — for many like me, even within our lifetimes. Growing up in West Berlin, I saw the divide. I felt it. Every day.
India’s journey in numbers
India’s economic journey since 1947 can be told in numbers.
Before colonial rule: 25 per cent of global GDP. After independence? A mere 1.5 per cent. Today? 8.5 per cent — and rising. India is projected to become the third-largest economy by 2030.
But the real story is the farmer who can now send his daughter to college. The scientist launching satellites. The entrepreneur creating jobs in villages.
During my time leading Roche in India, I witnessed breathtaking change — infrastructure, science, education, commerce. You name it.
But I also saw the tension: between tradition and modernity, between old and young, between aspiration and access.
Progress is not just about speed. It is about direction.
India and Germany: shared histories, shared values
Our languages share ancient roots — Indo-Germanic. Our intellectual histories intertwine, from the travelogue of 1509 to the missionaries and Indologists of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries.
India rose from colonial rule. Germany rose from the ashes of war. Both rebuilt not just economies, but democracies.
Our constitutions echo each other. India’s speaks of justice, liberty, equality, fraternity. Germany’s Grundgesetz speaks of responsibility, peace, dignity and unity.
Article 1 says: Die Würde des Menschen ist unantastbar. Human dignity is inviolable.
These are not just words. They are shared commitments.
And we share the same geoeconomic and political challenges — climate change, technological disruption, shifting alliances. A world moving from convergence to divergence.
Culture and connection
In this changing and volatile world, culture remains a bridge.
Today, Indian culture flourishes in Germany. Yoga studios in Eimsbüttel. Bollywood at the Savoy Cinema. Spices in kitchens across the city. Indian music and dance, here.
Raise your hand if you have tried explaining Indian food to a German friend — and then watched their face when you explain that we do not actually use “curry powder” in India.
That is when I give them the same look I get when someone calls bread rolls Brötchen in Bavaria instead of Semmel.
But culture is not just export — it is exchange. It is the quiet transformation that happens when we learn from one another, not just about one another.
Diaspora and responsibility
The Indian diaspora is a living bridge.
But I ask you: are we merely contributors to economies — or custodians of values? Ambassadors of these countries?
Are we shaping systems, or simply adapting to them?
Each of you — doctor, engineer, artist, student — is not just a link, but a leader.
You have the power to shape Hamburg’s view of India, and India’s view of the world.
Trade and trust
Let us turn now to our economic partnership.
Thirty-three billion dollars in bilateral trade. Hamburg ships nearly 2.8 million tonnes of goods to India each year — growth of over 35 per cent in a single quarter, and 16 per cent annually over the last five years.
Over 700 companies here trade with India. More than fifty Indian firms call Hamburg home.
What does it mean when Hamburg exports millions of tonnes to India? It means opportunity. Trust. Boundary-crossing ambition.
It is about invisible threads of cooperation, curiosity, and shared destiny.
India’s future and our role
India’s aspirations for 2047 are bold.
To become a developed economy. A global technology hub. A climate leader. To be Atmanirbhar — self-reliant.
Creating everything from semiconductors to jet engines. With a median age below thirty, digital agility, roadside vendors accepting cashless payments, excellent education, fierce competition.
India is not just catching up. It is leaping forward.
But challenges remain. Economic inequality. Skill gaps. Agricultural vulnerability — 42 per cent still depend on farming.
These are not just statistics. They are stories. Stories of resilience, and of urgency.
As Rabindranath Tagore envisioned:
India will be known not for its riches, but for its richness of spirit.
A call to action
How many of us have felt divided — by borders, languages, generations?
And how many have experienced the joy of bridging those divides?
We are not just observers. We are bridges.
And bridges must do more than connect. They must carry weight. They must endure.
We should be the heartbeat of two nations — ensuring the richness we cultivate is not just material, but moral, cultural and spiritual.
- Let us promote understanding — not just tolerance, but empathy.
- Let us champion inclusion — not just in policy, but in practice.
- Let us foster collaboration — not for prestige, but for purpose.
- Let us drive innovation — not just for profit, but for progress.
- Let us support grassroots change — not just with funds, but with faith.
We should be the heartbeat of two nations.
Think about what you plan to do today to make this happen.
When you walk out of this hall tonight, imagine one hand holding India’s dreams, the other holding Germany’s opportunities.
And know that you are the bridge that makes them meet.
Thank you.