At first, it was simply overwhelming: as a European, you stand out immediately, people approach you, offer help and you realise at the same time how unfamiliar this environment is. That initial sense of disorientation became, for me, the key to understanding India’s economic dynamism in a different way.
Understanding India – A Delegation Trip Between Delhi, Mumbai and Chennai
It took me two days in Delhi to truly arrive, not at the hotel, but in my own mind. The city greeted me with a constant chorus of horns, dense crowds, and a tangle of rickshaws, motorbikes and cars, and a culture that feels entirely different in its sounds, smells and gestures from anything we know in Europe.
The Political Framework: Hamburg as a Bridge
Once that settling-in phase had passed, the delegation trip began to unfold its real impact. Together with Hamburg’s Senator for Economic Affairs, Dr Melanie Leonhard, and a high-ranking delegation comprising politicians, associations, port and logistics industry representatives, startups and universities, we travelled through Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai and Bengaluru.
The political framework is clear: the recently agreed free trade agreement between the EU and India, visits by senior European politicians such as Ursula von der Leyen and Friedrich Merz – and, as a fun-fact aside, Emmanuel Macron, who happened to be jogging through Mumbai while we were there – and of course growing city partnerships are all intended to significantly deepen economic ties. Hamburg is to serve as a bridge between the German logistics ecosystem and Indian metropolises.
Delhi: Maritime Vision and Artificial Intelligence
An early highlight was our meeting at the Indian Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways. There we gained insight into the “Maritime Vision 2047”, a long-term strategy through which India aims to position itself as a global maritime and logistics hub. Behind it lie massive investment plans: new and expanded deep-sea ports, improved rail and road connections to the hinterland, multimodal corridors, the expansion of inland waterways and coastal shipping, and a consistent drive to digitalise logistics processes. For those responsible for supply chains, this means that routes, hubs and cost structures in this part of the world will change significantly in the years ahead and more quickly than one might assume from behind a desk.
This strategic perspective was complemented by a briefing at the German Embassy and attendance at the Indian AI Summit. The embassy briefing made clear that extensive cooperation between German and Indian businesses already exists, but that there is also considerable untapped potential. The AI Summit, which brought together leading figures in artificial intelligence like Open AI CEO Sam Altman, Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai or Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei alongside high-ranking delegations from around the world lead by more than 20 heads of state and 60 ministers, underlined how strongly India envisions the transformative impact AI will have on its tech-savvy population. For a country of 1.4 billion people with ambitious growth targets, this is not an experimental field but a central lever.
Mumbai: Indian Institute of Management, Entrepreneurial Energy and Port Industry
In Mumbai, the focus shifted to entrepreneurial energy and the port industry. At the Indo-German Chamber of Commerce, we met with startups that have nothing left to prove: many of their solutions were at least the equal of what we know from Europe, and some were ahead. Particularly striking was the “fail fast” mentality, a deliberate approach to risk and speed that many German organisations still find difficult to embrace.
In the evening, we met representatives of established companies, from shipping lines and logistics service providers to large Indian conglomerates. The atmosphere was one of optimism and momentum: both sides recognise the potential of the new framework conditions and are eager to shape them actively. At the same time, everyone was clear that lasting relationships require time, trust and reliability.
Also significant was the visit to Hapag-Lloyd and the exchange on large-scale investment programmes in port and hinterland infrastructure. The plans to mobilise substantial private investment for the expansion of ports, railways, roads and logistics corridors make one thing clear: India is taking its future role in global supply chains very seriously. For international companies, this opens up not only new routes and capacities, but also the opportunity to help shape this infrastructure at an early stage as operators, partners or specialist service providers.
A further highlight was the visit to the Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Mumbai. One of India’s leading business schools, IIM Mumbai has deep roots in engineering, manufacturing and operations, making it a natural partner for KLU. The welcome from the Director and the supply chain faculty was warm and remarkably concrete. We spoke directly about potential cooperation projects, ranging from joint research on logistics to exchange formats for students and executives. IIM Mumbai has already conducted several studies highlighting the vast need for capacity building in logistics and supply chain management an area where KLU is well placed to contribute. Much remains open, but the foundation for a substantive collaboration has been laid, and I left the conversation confident that genuine shared value can be created here.
Chennai: Port Logistics in Practice
The final day of the trip took us deep into the practice of port logistics in Chennai. Together with the Hamburg Port Authority, we visited two port terminals and spoke directly with their respective managing directors about capacity, digitalisation and connectivity. HPA Managing Director Jens Meier outlined Hamburg’s port strategy a conversation that gave both sides a clearer sense of direction.
What struck me most personally was the positive energy on both sides. The openness to expanding cooperation between Hamburg and Indian actors was tangible and genuine. Everyone understands that this will not happen overnight but that is precisely where the Hanseatic character comes into its own. Building substantive, long-term relationships is not a weakness in this context; it is a genuine asset.
Within the Delegation: More Than Professional Exchange
Beyond the substantive discussions, the trip also moved things within the delegation itself. Representatives from politics, the port and logistics industry, startups, universities and associations grew closer, and ideas emerged for joint projects from research and recruitment to training and executive education formats. The shared view of India as a market of the future made clear how much potential lies in the collaboration between these actors, when they engage early and in a coordinated manner.
Arriving – As an Attitude
When I think back to those first two days in Delhi, the horns, the crowded streets, the apparent disorder, it now strikes me as an apt metaphor for German-Indian economic relations: at first glance loud, complex and hard to navigate. But the closer you look, and the more you engage with the diversity, the clearer it becomes: behind the apparent chaos lies a system in motion, one that offers enormous opportunities.
Those who take the time to arrive, to understand the dynamics and to build relationships will find their bearings in that diversity and will be well placed to benefit early from a market that is only just beginning to make its full impact felt in global supply chains.
Jan Ehlers
Jan Ehlers is Director Executive Education & Business Solutions at Kühne Logistics University (KLU) in Hamburg. He leads customized executive education programs and partnerships with companies and public institutions, working at the intersection of business, logistics, and international collaboration. His focus lies on executive learning, strategic partnerships, and strengthening connections between European and global logistics ecosystems.
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