India, Germany to fast-track issue of business visas

India and Germany will set up a hotline between the commerce and industry ministry in India and the federal ministry of economics and technology in Germany to facilitate quick resolution of any business-related visa issues.

This was decided at a bilateral meeting between India's minister for commerce and industry Anand Sharma and the federal minister of economics and technologies in Germany Rainer Brüderle.

The two ministers met at the inauguration of the Ficci-Fraunhofer Roundtable on "Innovation as a Driver of Indo-German Economic Relations."

Sharma is leading a business delegation of Ficci to Germany. Leaders from the two countries discussed ways of enhancing bilateral engagement in areas like knowledge sector, science, energy, manufacturing and infrastructure.

Anand Sharma, who is on a 3-day visit to Düsseldorf and Berlin, emphasised the need for a strategic partnership in innovation between India and Germany. The two countries also decided to take collaboration in key areas such as ICT, energy, including renewable energy, cutting edge technology including environmental and green technology, life sciences and biotechnology, nano-technologies, small city and integrated townships, besides further enhancement of ongoing cooperation in infrastructure, manufacturing and engineering.

In Düsseldorf, Sharma inaugurated the `India Goes to Germany Mission' and attended interactive meetings with the Chamber of Commerce of Düsseldorf as also with select CEOs besides meeting with the ministers of economy, energy, construction, housing and transport of German state of North Rhine Westphalia.