The delegation from Raunheim, Rüsselsheim and Kelsterbach in Germany’s Frankfurt Rhein-Main region; along with representatives of the German-Indian Business Alliance (GIBA); on Tuesday met PMC officials to explore areas of cooperation. Discussions have started between the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) and a delegation from three German cities on a long-term partnership covering urban mobility; waste management; technology; infrastructure; and opportunities for Pune-based startups and micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) to enter European markets.
The German delegation comprised Raunheim mayor David Rendel, Rhein-Main Innovation Hub CEO Stephan Wittekind, GIBA chairman Selvakumar Periasamy, GIBA CEO Nirmal Raman Kannaiyan, and Expandeers India partner Charudatta Pande. The PMC delegation included mayor Manjusha Nagpure, municipal commissioner Naval Kishore Ram, additional municipal commissioner Pavneet Kaur, city engineer Aniruddha Pawaskar, project department chief engineer Dinkar Gojare, municipal secretary Yogita Bhosale, and Bhavan department superintending engineer Bipin Shinde.
“Germany has consistently been a guiding force for India in technology, innovation and industry. He added that German experience and international best practices could help Pune address challenges arising from rapid urban growth, and improve the efficiency and sustainability of civic services. “Pune would greatly benefit from the experience and best practices of German cities, particularly in urban mobility, waste management, technology and urban governance.
Ram said that Pune could benefit from German expertise while its strong manufacturing and MSM E ecosystem could afford opportunities for German companies. Pune has a strong ecosystem comprising education, IT, startups, manufacturing and a highly skilled workforce, providing significant opportunities for collaboration with German cities in areas such as artificial intelligence, urban governance, mobility, waste management and city planning,” Ram said. At the same time, Pune’s strong manufacturing-oriented MSME ecosystem offers significant potential for collaboration with German companies and for facilitating access to European markets,” Ram further said.
