Safe Machines, Electric Mobility and Industry 4.0 - Indian Delegation at the Hannover Messe

On the occasion of the Hannover Messe trade show for industrial technology, an Indian government delegation headed by Secretary Dr A. R. Sihag of the Department of Heavy Industry (DHI) visited Germany from 2 - 5 April 2019. The Global Project Quality Infrastructure (GPQI) of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWi) supported DHI’s visit to Germany. The two ministries cooperate through the Indo-German Working Group on Quality Infrastructure on topics such as machinery safety, Industry 4.0, and electric mobility.

At a meeting with State Secretary Dr Nussbaum (BMWi) in Berlin, Secretary Dr Sihag informed that strengthening machinery safety in India would be a focus topic for his department. Both discussed to use the bilateral working group to intensify their bilateral cooperation on regulations and standards for machinery safety. The study “Making Safe Machines a Standard in India” published by GPQI in cooperation with the German Mechanical Engineering Industry Federation (VDMA) provides guidance for improving safety of machines and reduce occupational accidents in India.

Both sides exchanged on the importance of harmonised standards for electric mobility such as the Combined Charging Standard (CCS). CCS is a solution for open and universal charging systems for electric vehicles followed in the European Union and many other countries which India also decided to use. During their visit of a demonstration unit of electric vehicle charging stations at BMW in Munich the Indian delegation gained practical insights into the application of CCS in Germany.

State Secretary Dr Nussbaum and Secretary Dr Sihag discussed a closer cooperation on Industry 4.0, especially on aspects of standardisation, IT security, and support mechanisms for small and medium-sized companies (SMEs). The German Plattform Industrie 4.0 which was formed by companies, academia, trade unions and government bodies is an institutional approach of interest to the Indian side. The Indian delegation could see Industry 4.0 in practice during their visit of Siemens’ use case on 3D printing of gas turbine components in Berlin.

In collaboration with the Engineering Export Promotion Council of India and the Indian Embassy in Berlin, DHI hosted an “India Investment Meet” at the Hannover Messe. Participating companies had the opportunity to share their experiences in India and give suggestions on enhancing the bilateral collaboration in manufacturing.

The GPQI of BMWi supports the Indo-German cooperation in the area of standards, technical regulations, conformity assessment, accreditation, and market surveillance. With GPQI’s presence through a GIZ office in New Delhi, the project ensures concrete achievements in the discussed areas such as machinery safety, Industry 4.0 and electric mobility.