Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal on Friday, 23 October held a series of high-level meetings in Berlin, pitching India's startup ecosystem and healthcare technology sector to top German business leaders and government officials. The talks are aimed at deepening the India-Germany economic partnership across investment, medical technology, media, and education.

Bertelsmann Talks: Startup and Tech Sectors in Focus

Goyal met Carsten Coesfeld, Member of the Executive Board of Bertelsmann and CEO of Bertelsmann Investments, to explore investment avenues in India's rapidly growing startup ecosystem. The discussions also covered potential collaboration across the media, education, and technology sectors. 'Explored avenues for investment in startups in India and across the media, education & technology sectors,' Goyal noted following the meeting.

Siemens Healthineers: MedTech and AI-Driven Healthcare

In a separate meeting, Goyal engaged with Bernd Montag, CEO of Siemens Healthineers AG, on expanding the company's footprint in India and forging deeper collaboration in medical technology and affordable healthcare solutions. The minister underscored India's expanding healthcare infrastructure and its increasing emphasis on accessible services. 'India's expanding healthcare sector, growing healthcare infrastructure, and focus on accessible care offer immense opportunities to advance MedTech innovation, digitalisation, and AI-driven solutions, bringing quality healthcare closer to every Indian,' Goyal stated. This comes amid India's broader push to position itself as a global hub for digital health and MedTech manufacturing, especially following post-pandemic investments in healthcare capacity.

Bilateral Economic Priorities with Germany's G20 Sherpa

Goyal also interacted with Levin Holle, Economic and Financial Policy Advisor to the Federal Chancellor of Germany and the country's G7 and G20 Sherpa. The discussions centred on strengthening the India-Germany economic relationship and enhancing cooperation on shared global economic priorities through multilateral forums such as the G20. Notably, India and Germany have been sharpening bilateral economic engagement amid a shifting global trade landscape, with both nations looking to diversify supply chains and technology partnerships.

Why These Meetings Matter

Germany is one of India's largest trading partners in Europe, and the Berlin meetings signal a concerted effort to move the relationship beyond traditional trade into high-value investment in frontier sectors. India's startup ecosystem — already one of the world's largest by valuation — and its MedTech sector are being actively projected as destinations for European capital. The focus on digitalisation and AI-driven healthcare solutions also aligns with the Centre's broader agenda to leverage technology for last-mile health delivery. Analysts have noted that bilateral investment flows between India and Germany have significant room to grow, with regulatory simplification and sector-specific incentives emerging as key enablers.