Shared democratic values deepen India-Germany bonds: Bavaria Parl Prez

Bengaluru: Ilse Aigner, the charismatic President of the Bavarian State Parliament in her recent visit to Bengaluru, brought a blend of political gravitas and tech-savvy vision to the city. Since she became president of Bavaria’s parliament in 2018, Aigner has become a familiar face in European politics.

Her high-level delegation’s keen interest highlighted substantial potential for bilateral collaboration and investment in sectors ranging from IT and aerospace to semiconductors and innovation. In an exclusive interview, Aigner spoke about turning these diplomatic overtures into concrete joint projects and how Bavaria’s expertise in research and development could find a natural home in Karnataka’s vibrant startup ecosystem. Excerpts:

How often have you visited India and what changes have you seen during your visits?
This is my second visit to India, the first was about fifteen years ago. But this is my first visit to Bengaluru. We attended the Bengaluru Tech Summit (BTS) and were struck by the sheer energy of innovation on display. Seeing so many young, forward-thinking entrepreneurs is truly inspiring for us.

And, how do you envision the India Germany partnership evolving in the coming years, particularly in the context of BTS.
While inaugurating the Invest in Bavaria exhibition stand, I emphasized our invitation to Indian companies—especially startups—to explore opportunities in Bavaria. Personally, I’m impressed by the energy of the young entrepreneurs, and I believe that young women in particular are driving the next wave of innovation.

How do you see the role of tech in shaping the future of Germany and India, particularly in areas like AI, renewable energy, semi conductors, digital health, sustainability etc?
We have several German companies already active in India, and we are encouraging more Bavarian companies to explore India. Some prominent German companies in India include Siemens Healthineers, BMW, and Audi, Airbus, Infineon, Rohde & Schwarz, Linde Group and so on.

Similarly, Indian companies like Infosys, L&T, HCL, Wipro, TCS have a presence in Bavaria, employing thousands of people. We have around 40 or more companies operating in Karnataka. Additionally, the German government is currently facilitating negotiations for a free trade agreement between the EU and India.

Bavaria is 7000 km from Bengaluru, yet our ties are growing fast.
Could you explain any special reasons for this? We have had a strong partnership with Karnataka for 25 years, thanks to initiatives like the Invest in Bavaria office (2001) set up by my predecessor, Erwin Huber. Airbus, formerly Eurocopter, has had a long-standing connection with Bangalore. (Laughs). Despite the distance of 7,000 kilometers, we are just an 8-hour flight away, making it easier to maintain our partnership. 

Bavaria is known for its colourful culture, you had an interaction with our Mysuru MP Yaduveer Wadiyar, are we going to see Bavarian cultural groups in Mysuru soon?
It was an honour to meet Maharaja Yaduveer of Mysuru, and we also enjoyed sharing Bavarian highlights such as the world-famous Oktoberfest and our symphony orchestras with our Indian friends. Bavaria boasts a rich cultural heritage that stretches back centuries. We plan to have a German Christmas market during the first week(4 & 5) of December in Bengaluru.

The US visa curbs have hit Indian professionals in the IT, medical and other sec tors hard. Do you see them considering Germany and Bavaria in particular as an alternative destination?
Yes, I would be very pleased if we could have more cooperation with Karnataka as we are already partner states. The Chief Minister of Bavaria also mentioned the “Privileged Partnership” of regions.

We are keen on having Karnataka join this partnership. I would like to highlight the shared democratic values between our countries. In today's world, democracy is something we can't take for granted.