By Sahil Pandey

Berlin [Germany], October 24 (ANI): India has emerged as a "very reliable and trustworthy partner" for Germany and Europe amid growing geopolitical and economic uncertainty, India's Ambassador to Germany Ajit Gupte said, describing Union Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal's visit as "very timely" to strengthen bilateral trade and investment ties.

Speaking to ANI here, Gupte said the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, Europe's energy crisis and friction in the transatlantic partnership had created uncertainty, prompting Germany and other European countries to look towards India as a dependable partner.

"At such a juncture, Germany and Europe are looking at India as a very reliable and trustworthy partner. Therefore, the visit of the Commerce Minister is very timely," Gupte told ANI.

Goyal arrived in Germany with a large delegation comprising nearly 100 representatives from various sectors of Indian industry. The delegation participated in several sectoral roundtables and signed multiple memoranda of understanding (MoUs), enabling Indian companies to explore and capitalise on business opportunities, Gupte said.

The minister also participated in the Berlin Global Dialogue, where he delivered an impactful speech and interacted with several chief executive officers (CEOs), who expressed keen interest in engaging with India and increasing their investments in the country, the ambassador said.

Highlighting another key aspect of the visit, Gupte said Goyal interacted with a range of German science and technology institutions that have played a significant role in establishing Germany as a global technology leader.

On the India-European Union Free Trade Agreement (FTA) and its potential benefits, Gupte said India-Germany relations had witnessed comprehensive development in recent years, extending beyond trade and investment to defence cooperation and people-to-people ties.

Germany is India's largest trade and investment partner within the European Union, he said, adding that the growing Indian diaspora was another important dimension of the bilateral relationship.

"The Indian diaspora here is growing by leaps and bounds. They have been growing by about 60,000 per year for the last two years, and they have now crossed 332,000," Gupte said.

He added that Goyal's visit had come at a crucial juncture and would contribute significantly to strengthening the India-Germany strategic partnership.

The visit comes amid efforts to deepen India's economic engagement with Germany and the wider European market, with trade, investment, defence cooperation and technological collaboration emerging as key pillars of bilateral ties. (ANI)