Testimonials

The year 2014 began with the Indo-German Training Centre welcoming the second group of students from the Duale Hochschule Baden- Württemberg (DHBW), Karlsruhe for their well-established Intenstive Study Programme “Business Environment India” from 6^th – 15^th January 2014.  The essence of this student exchange programme was to bring the countries closer, to know people from both sides, to gain from diverse experiences, to build friendships that transcend the boundaries of distance and time and to create fond memories to savour.

The delegation was hosted by Ms. Radhieka Mehta, Director IGTC and led by Prof. Volker Ihle, Head of Department, Business Administration and Engineering, and International Coordinator, DHBW and Prof. Dr. Ruediger Schaefer, Head of Department, Management in Commerce, DHBW.  They were also accompanied by Ms. Ramona Lange, Representative IHK Karlsruhe.  Mr. Bernhard Steinruecke, Director General, IGCC formally inaugurated the programme and gave them insights on economic ties between India and Germany. Their 10-day itinerary was meticulously planned with a host of interesting lectures at IGTC, industry visits to Indian and German organizations and cultural immersion with the Indian students.

Their classroom lectures at IGTC included an Overview of the Economic, Political and Cultural Environment in India; an Overview of the Logistics Industry in India with a live demonstration of the famous Dabbawalla system in Mumbai; an interactive lecture on the Retail Industry in India with a guided tour to the traditional, wholesale Crawford Market and the hi-end, retail Hi-Street Phoenix and Palladium Mall; and a lecture on the IT/ITES Industry in India combined with a engaging visit to the Tech Mahindra Business Services Limited.

The industry visits started off by observing how German organizations such as Siemens and BASF function in India.  It was interesting for the students to know that several processes in India are done manually as they tend to be cost effective.  They were impressed by the fact that German companies invest in the education of young people as well as work towards renewable energy to ensure a good life for future generations.

Among the Indian companies, the German students visited large conglomerates such as Godrej Industries, Godrej and Boyce, Mahindra and Mahindra, Tech Mahindra, Lodha Group, and ACC Limited.  At Godrej, students learnt about the HR policies such as staff welfare and organizational structure. They visited the Innovation Centre as well as the Company Showroom with the entire product display.  At Mahindra and Mahindra plant, they gained an overview of an Indian automotive plant with emphasis on the manufacturing process, implementation of quality circles and the design strategy.  Tech Mahindra was a complete contrast to the previous two plants.  It was a completely unique experience to see people who work in the advanced 3G technology space and provide end-to-end CRM solutions for the people in the UK, Ireland and Australia. It was an interesting fact that they have a pool of 12000 professionals who attend to almost 30,000 calls per day witha commitment to putting the customer first. The students were impressed to get the actual feel of the shop floor where calls were made to offer solutions and simplify the life of the customer.

At the upcoming, luxurious, residential project “The Park” of the Lodha Group, the students gained a first-hand experience of seeing Indian labourers working on a construction site. This was followed by a visit to the legendary ACC Cement House, which is an energy-efficient, environment-friendly building. Its attractive refurbished façade now houses an ultramodern office equipped with space-saving modular workstations, access control and intelligent lighting with motion and light sensors, waste management systems and water saving devices set amid greenery. Beyond Indian corporate giants, the students also visited Infinium Precious Resources Ltd., which manufactures gold and silver coins ranging from 1 gm to 100 gm.

Work and studies were adequately combined with culture, fun and entertainment.  It is beyond doubt that Mumbai and Bollywood have always been synonymous.  Hence, a visit to the city would been incomplete without seeingthe state-of-the-art, fully integrated Yash Raj Films Studio. The students were thrilled to see the locations that bring stories to life; to take a close look at the most advancedsound studio and actuallylisten to a song recording; and post-production facilities.  It was wonderful to see two Hindi film trailers with English subtitles, and walk out to personally meet the stars, Ranveer Singh and Arjun Kapoor.  That’s why they say that dreams come true in Bollywood!!

Dharavi and Elephanta were two must-dos in the city.  At Dharavi, the students were amazed to see the heart of the small-scale industry in India. It came as a big surprise how the workshops in slums were equipped with machinery for mass-production.  The slum tour – including the tanning of leather, the recycling of plastic containers, the making of garments and the papad making process – was indeed inspiring and dispelled all notions of Dharavi being a place of misery.  The students had a delightful time on their short excursion to the Elephanta Caves, an UNESCO World Heritage Site.  They enjoyed the boat journey, the mad rush for the toy train, the infinite stairs with little handicraft shops all along and the beautifully carved Shiva temple.

All these impressions over ten days culminated into final presentations at IGTC.  Along with a sunset over the Arabian Sea, the students bid farewell to IGTC – their home in India – with a promise to return someday, sometime! Auf Wiedersehen!!

The Indo-German Training Centre participated in the biggest sporting event in India; the Standard Chartered Mumbai Marathon on 19^th Jan, 2014 . The students enthusiastically participated in the 6 km Dream Run category starting from Azad Maidan on a Sunday morning. The entire atmosphere was electrified with the collective energy of the students along with Ms. Radhieka Mehta, Director IGTC and other staff members from the Training centre. The event was more of a celebration, with participants coming dressed as different characters. The participants were in groups promoting their brands as many corporate companies like Siemens, BASF, Lanxess and BMW participated in the run. Overall it was an enjoyable experience for the students as they were glad to participate in this grand event.

“Business Environment Germany”
Ersten mal in Deutschland for IGTC Students
IGTC partners with DHBW, Germany for Intensive Student Exchange Programme

For the first time, 26 students from the Indo-German Training Centres across Mumbai, Bangalore, Chennai and Kolkata visited the Duale Hochschule Baden Wuerttemberg (DHBW) or Baden-Wuerttemberg State Cooperative University, Karlsruhe for an intensive study programme “Business Environment Germany” from 29th September to 10th October 2013. The student delegation was lead from India by Ms. Radhieka Mehta, Director IGTC and accompanied by Sudhakar Kasture, Faculty at IGTC.  It was planned and supported by the DHBW faculty team including Prof. Volker Ihle, Head of Department Business Administration and Engineering, International Coordinator; Prof. Peter J. Lehmeier, Head of Department Business Administration; Prof. Dr. Rudiger Schafer, Head of Department, Business Administration, Management in Commerce and Ms. Birgit Schlenker, University Communication, Events and Project.

The student exchange programme aimed to give the IGTC students an exposure to all aspects of Germany – including education and student life, industry and corporate work etiquettes, culture, history and lifestyle.  The Jugendherberge (Youth Hostel) Karlsruhe became home to the Indian students for the fortnight.

To begin the 13-day programme, a warm welcome was extended to all the students by eminent personalities in Karlsruhe:

• Prof. Dr. Georg Richter, President, DHBW Karlsruhe
• Ms. Margret Mergen, Deputy Mayor, Karlsruhe
• Prof. Hans-Peter Mengele, Director General, IHK Karlsruhe

While Ms. Mergen passionately introduced the students to the young but historic, fan-shaped city of Karlsruhe, Prof. Mengele mesmerized the students with his impromptu lecture on Innovation and Leadership by Generation Y. Through these privileged interactions, by the end of the first two days, the IGTC students understood the importance of their role as brand ambassadors of India and as members of the globally recognized German Chamber fraternity.
Subsequently, over the next few days, the students attended some lectures at DHBW and visited German companies.

Dr. Rajiv Kumar, Senior Project Manager at Siemens AG gave a lecture on Project Management with a special focus on countries that are either politically unstable or just achieving stability through international collaboration.  He exemplified various personal achievements where he has successfully completed projects for Siemens in the most unique and toughest of conditions.  Through his professional work examples, he explained about International Safety Standards, Global Teams, Managing Global Risk and Investment and Crisis Management, all of which together contribute to Siemens’ success as an organization.

A business simulation game, designed by faculty Mr. Genth, covered three cycles that demonstrated the impact of different environmental and technological changes inevitable in a business.  Ms. Brigitte Brun, an independent consultant by profession and a passionate faculty on the weekends at DHBW, took the students through a case study on what success and failure meant in a global perspective, and the role of woman in today’s scenario.  Her enthusiasm and fondness for India were evident in the way she expressed her opinion that India is an organized country with great potential.

Prof. Lee took students through an interesting and knowledgeable lecture on the history, benefits and future of the Euro.  He explained why the Euro Zone was a political decision and why Germany’s role is the critical key to its survival.  A truly global person and linguist, Dr. Altehenger Smith enthralled the students through her lecture on being ‘Internationally Interactive’ – on dealing with stereotypes, intercultural perceptions, non-verbal communication and gestures in various cultures.

Prof. Lehmeier from DHBW, our continuous source of enrichment in Germany, gave the students an insight into the different retail formats in Germany and innovative concepts such as scanning the barcode with a smartphone, the P-fund system of recycling of bottles and the flexible leadership followed by DM stores.  His lecture was delivered under a tree in the garden that took the students back to the ancient Indian ‘Gurukul’ system.

Beyond lectures, the fascinating world of German companies opened their doors to Indian students.  It was dream come true for most students to see the Mercedes Benz A and B Class factory in Rastatt with its an assembly line functioning with 1300 robots and high tech machinery.  Each car was customized as per individual requirements of the clients and production schedules were always ahead of time. The students were fascinated by the audio-aided, but employee-guided tour, wherein all their queries were answered in real time.  It was impressive to witness the Mercedes team spirit wherein all employees were referred to as colleagues; and the loyalty and customer focus that were integral to the world’s most luxurious car maker.

The Central Warehouse of Michelin Tyres at Landau was an eye-opener on Safety and Space Management.  Safety gears including jackets and shoes were prepared for each student.  It was interesting to see the different varieties and sizes of tyres and methods of storing them.  For the students, Siemens stood out as a company that prides itself on providing solutions to complex problems, and signifies a global network of innovation.  After the official presentation, the students were shown the Simulators named TIA – Totally Integrated Automation which replicates the various factory processes, and is used to give young trainees hands on experience in the organization.  A tour of the production facility showcased Siemens products and their applications in the industry.

Then, the students visited a hidden champion, Klingelmail – Germany’s largest mail order company and a leader in logistics and warehousing.  With a fully automated plant and a vertical warehouse, the company handles around 80,000 consignments per day across 250,000 different products.  The highest standard of accuracy and precision were maintained with check points installed at regular intervals throughout the conveyor belt.

On the last day of company visits, it was time to “Drive the World” by visiting SEW, one of the biggest manufacturers of belt and conveyor drives.  The company not only believes in innovation but also precision, reliability and safety.

Finally, the students were fortunate to visit the world’s largest ‘verbund’, fully integrated chemical plant, BASF at Ludwigshafen.  After a start at the BASF Visitor’s Centre, students were given a bus tour of the humungous plant, almost the size of

an entire city with its own railway track for internal transportation, a port of the River Rhine for long distance transportation, three fire stations that also catered beyond the plant to the entire city of Ludwigshafen and an environment monitoring centre.  It was simply out of the world, but still very much grounded in safety and its commitment to the environment.

Of course, the student exchange programme would not have been complete without a little bit of culture and sightseeing.  Whether it was making merry at the Oktoberfest, visiting the beautiful picturesque Heidelberg, gorging on the delicious authentic Black Forest Cake, catching up on a soccer game at the Mercedes Benz Arena or overcoming every challenge at the Waldseilpark Forest Adventure Park – the students did it all.

The first cultural visit on the German National Day was to the Bruchsal Palace which captured their attention by its art, paintings and its beautiful décor.  The Museum of Musical Instruments gave them an insight to German music from the 17th to 20th century.  Heidelberg captured hearts, with its charm and character in abundance between the old bridge and the mighty castle.

The visit to the Mercedes Benz Museum in Stuttgart was dream come true for many of them. It was a journey through more than 125 years of fascinating automotive history – and on into the future. It was a treat to all car lovers. The Oktoberfest at Wasen, Stuttgart was truly an experience of a lifetime.  Trains at this time in Stuttgart were no less than the Mumbai locals but the atmosphere at the Oktoberfest was electrifying. There were people dressed in traditional Lederhosen and Drindls, giant steins of beer were seen everywhere.  The students were completely flabbergasted with the giant carnival!

Heaven on Earth – Black Forest embodied everything that one might expect of a German picture book holiday.  Green hilly pastures, pinewood trees, huge sized horses, vineyards…it was simply paradise.  The journey to the alluring kingdom started at the St. Peters Church with a divine Sunday morning service.  More fascinations – the world’s biggest Cuckoo Clock and the Vogtbauerhof, an open air museum of ancient, 400 year old Black Forest farmhomes left the students awestruck.  Most specially, the students were treated to a live demonstration of the making of the one of the most important inventions in Germany; the amazing black forest cake soaked in ‘Cherry Water’….and were then invited to feast on it.

The abundant exposure over almost two weeks culminated with the IGTC students presenting their learnings and experiences at DHBW among an audience of German students, faculty and guests from the industry.  A crisp, one hour programme was designed wherein presentations were interspersed with a short IGTC film, an Indian classical song and some Indian folk and bollywood dances.  The Indian students used every mode – words, music, dance and art – to express their gratitude to the DHBW faculty for painstakingly organizing this wonderful immersion into their dream country Germany, an exchange programme that will always remain a part of their memoirs forever!!

This is what the students had to say after their Germany visit:

“Its not the “Weather”, not the ” Lifestyle”, not the “Technology”, Neither the “Population” nor the “Size” of this country that has made all the difference. It’s the “Attitude” that matters a lot. Thanks Germany  for a wonderful experience!!”
Sayali Lokhande

“Danke für Ihre Gastfreundschaft. The Business Seminar in Karlsruhe was a great learning experience for me. It was an inspirational program which helped me to learn and understand a finer culture that excels in technology & professionalism, thereby motivating us to strive for bigger goals in life. The Deutschen personify the phrase “Work hard, Party harder!”. Bis zum nächsten Mal, Auf Wiedersehen!”
Shashank Chandrasekharan

Bayer conducted a Scholarship Program called “Championing Success” for the IGTC students of Batch 2012-2014 in September, 2013. The Bayer Scholarships are an effort to recognize and appreciate meritorious students across colleges as well as management programmes such as IGTC. The rigorous and exhaustive selection process conducted gave weightage to consistent academic brilliance, an Online Assessment Test which evaluates a student’s speed and accuracy and then finally a personal Interview on the Bayer LIFE Values.
The personal Interviews on Bayer’s LIFE Values were conducted by the Bayer team consisting of Mr. Vaibhav Rane, Mr. Percy Bamboat, Ms. Priya D’cruz from the Human Resources Department, Mr. Anand Srinivasan, Head- Supply Chain and Mr. Marco Schmidt, Executive Officer Corporate Business Services of the Bayer Group in India.
A total of 16 students were shortlisted for the personal interviews and three bright students from Batch 2012-2014 – Tasneem Muchhala, Rohan Vaidya and Shamit Jana were selected as the Bayer Scholars. They are entitled to receive a scholarship amount of Rs. 50000/- each on their Convocation Ceremony in March 2014.

The atmosphere at the training centre was filled with euphoria and cheer on the occasion of the certificate awarding ceremony of the 2nd Batch of the Executive Business Management Programme 2012-2013 held on 13th August 2013. 29 participants from diverse companies were acknowledged for their hardwork and commitment of pursuing the One-year weekend programme. The executive participants were accompanied by their spouses and children, who joined in to celebrate this special occasion. Dignitaries from the corporate world were also present to encourage and motivate the participants.

The participants of the 3rd Batch of the Executive Business Management Programme successfully completed their programme at IGTC and took one large step into a journey of life-long learning. To culminate their learning’s of the past one year the programme was concluded with a final Capstone Project where the participants took extra efforts to present significant business plans. There were 9 groups who presented over a span of two days. The projects were evaluated by distinguished faculty who suggested ways of improvement.

The projects were as follows:
1. Solar X-Ray for Siemens Ltd.
2. Mineral Water Plant for Bosch Ltd.
3. Aircoolers for Industrial Applications for Batliboi Group
4. Bosch Pharma Services for Bosch Packaging technology
5. Introduction of Innovative Construction Chemicals for Concrete Applications of BASF India
6. Palm Cab Services for HDFC Ergo
7. Gas Induction Reactor for effluent Treatment
8. Globus Slurry pump
9. Explorer – The Finishing Institute

Despite their hectic professional schedules, it was commendable that the participants had been able to sacrifice alternate weekends, giving up on personal and family time to sit through six hours of lectures, assignments, tests and projects. With perseverance, determination, time management, dedication and no doubt some perspiration, they managed to successfully complete their academic programme at IGTC and lay a strong foundation of knowledge.

The 4th batch of the EBMP was inaugurated on 27th July, 2013. The batch comprises 16 participants from Indo-German member companies such as BASF India, Rittal, Siemens, Volkswagen, Wacker Chemie among others.

IGTC Mumbai marked the successful completion of the Trainee Selection Process for Batch 2013-2015. The process was conducted over two days on 11th and 12th June, 2013 over a varied range of technical and commercial students, who were eagerly awaiting opportunities to come their way.

An Information Session was held for prospective students and their parents at the training centre on 5th June 2013 to give them detailed insight into the 18-month, full time programme based on the German Dual System of Training. A Q&A session followed to give clarity on the training companies, internships, placements, general management theory etc. Overall the session dispelled all doubts and apprehensions among aspiring candidates, and filled them with enthusiasm to meet and interview with the participating training companies that required trainees for their future organizational requirements.

On one hand, IGTC strengthened its relationship with its collaborating companies of the previous year and on the other hand, it forged new associations with other companies as well. It had got extensive support from more than 20 partnering training companies such as Bajaj Allianz, BASF Group, Bayer Group, Bosch Automotive Electronics India, Bosch Limited, Clariant Chemicals, Dr. Oetker, Epcos India, Evonik Industries, Extentia Information Technology, Faberinfinite Creative Solutions Pvt. Ltd., Fuchs Lubricants (India) Pvt. Ltd., Häfele India, Hella Group, KSB Pumps Ltd, Lanxess India, Liebherr India Pvt. Ltd., Mercedes-Benz, NRB Bearings Limited, Siemens Limited, Steinbach & Partner, Sunjewels India, Transasia, TUV India and Volkswagen.

It was an absolutely distinctive experience for all the fresh and experienced candidates to undergo multiple rounds of interview with their dream companies before gaining admission to the IGTC business administration programme. As a result of this methodical and painstaking selection process, ultimately a cumulative strength of 56 trainees was inducted as Batch 2013 – 2015 at Indo-German Training Centre, Mumbai.

H.E. Michael Steiner, German Ambassador to India, handed out the awards to Mr. Ashwin Jayaraman (Topper, IGTC Batch 2011-2013) and Ms. Sushmita Datta, Business Unit Head of High Performance Materials, Lanxess (I) Pvt. Ltd. (IGTC Alumni Batch 2000-2002) on behalf at the BMBF at the 20th Convocation Ceremony of the Indo-German Training Centre (IGTC) on 18th March 2013.

Ambassador Steiner’s Keynote Address on the Convocation Ceremony:

“Dear Ms. Mehta, Dear Graduates, Ladies and Gentlemen, Friends,Around 20 years ago, three important events happened:

1. 1. The Berlin wall came down, a world divided into East and West became one globalised world!
2. 2. At the same time in India, the Finance Minister Manmohan Singh started a        groundbreaking reform process to modernise the economic setup of India.
3. 3. And thirdly, the most important event: You, today’s graduates, were born around that time. In fact, you grew up in a new world which no generation before you has experienced.

Dear Graduates, today is your day! You have successfully concluded 18 months of Vocational Training: 12 months of it in the Indo-German Training Centre, and 6 months of practical training in the real world, in a company.  I am sure, this was at times quite tough, no piece of cake, kein Zuckerschlecken, as we say in German, and quite a challenge to pass the final exams.

But you made it! Your efforts are paying off now. Many of you already have a job-perspective, and the others are now well equipped to get one soon.  The training you enjoyed is quite special: the famous German Dual System of Vocational Education & Training: The right combination of theoretical learning and practical training.  You know that even the American President praised this system in his most recent State of the Union address. It is indeed one of the key ingredients to Germany’s economic success.

And IGTC did even more: It taught you how to learn! This is so important because in your professional life learning will not end but accompany you throughout your career.  It will open you the doors, also to Germany, Europe and the world as a whole.

The ties between India and Germany are deeply rooted in history.  While you were going through your 18 months of vocational training, we celebrated 60 years of diplomatic relations with a Year of Germany in India and an India Year in Germany.  With the Year of Germany in India, we reached more than one million Indians proving that Germany is indeed attractive to Indians, especially the young, and that we are ideal partners.

India needs good education and training for 500 million young men and women by 2022 (PM Singh).
German companies need well qualified, skilled young Indians. The shortfall in the skilled workforce in Germany increases year by year. By 2025, it will have reached 6.3 million i.e. a huge number of vacancies to fill!

Germany has in recent years developed a welcoming environment for young professionals and their families through:

• a new website “Make-it-in-Germany.com” easy access, easy work permit called the Blue Card.
• in science and higher education:
• countless scholarships in both directions, hardly any tuition fees at German universities,
• 800 English diploma courses – the number of Indian students in Germany is increasing by 20% annually.

In terms of joint scientific output with Indian researchers, Germany leads the way and is second only to the US.  The German language training in Indian schools is expanding greatly: Through our partnership with 1000 KV schools, we aspire to reach the magical number of one million German learners in India by 2017.

During his third official trip to Mumbai, German Ambassador to India Michael Steiner held the keynote speech at the Convocation Ceremony (Batch 2011 – 2013) of the Indo-German Training Centre (IGTC) of the Mumbai based Indo-German Chamber of Commerce.

The Ambassador also awarded the “Certificate of Recognition” of the German Government to two outstanding Indian students of the IGTC. This is the first time ever that these certificates have been awarded to Indian students. The IGTC in Mumbai stands for high quality Vocational Education & Training.

The Ambassador’s Speech on the Convocation Ceremony:

“Dear Ms. Mehta,
Dear Graduates,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Friends,

Around 20 years ago, three important events happened:

• The Berlin wall came down, a world divided into East and West became one globalised world!
• At the same time in India Finance Minister Manmohan Singh started a groundbreaking reform process to modernise the economic setup of India.
• And thirdly, the most important event: You, todays graduates, were born around that time. In fact, you grew up in a new world which no generation before you has experienced.

Dear Graduates,

Today is your day! You have successfully concluded:

• 18 months of Vocational Training,
• 12 months of it in the Indo-German Training Center,
• and 6 months of practical training in the real world, in a company.

I am sure, this was at times quite tough, no piece of cake, kein Zuckerschlecken, as we say in German, and quite a challenge to pass the final exams.
But you made it! Your efforts are paying off now. Many of you already have a job-perspective, and the others are now well equipped to get one soon.
The class of 2013 at the IGTC Mumbai (German Consulate Mumbai) The training you enjoyed is quite special: the famous German Dual System of Vocational Education & Training: The right combination of theoretical learning and practical training.
You know that even the American President praised this system in his most recent State of the Union address. It is indeed one of the key ingredients to Germany’s economic success.
And IGTC did even more: It taught you how to learn! This is so important because in your professional life learning will not end but accompany you throughout your career.
It will open you the doors, also to Germany, Europe and the world as a whole.
Dear Graduates,

The ties between India and Germany are deeply rooted in history.

While you were going through your 18 months of vocational training, we celebrated 60 years of diplomatic relations with a Year of Germany in India and an India Year in Germany.

With the Year of Germany in India, we reached more than one million Indians proving that Germany is indeed attractive to Indians, especially the young, and that we are ideal partners:

India needs good education and training for 500 million young men and women by 2022 (PM Singh).
German companies need well qualified, skilled young Indians. The shortfall in the skilled workforce in Germany increases year by year. By 2025, it will have reached 6.3 million i.e. a huge number of vacancies to fill!

Germany has in recent years developed a welcoming environment for young professionals and their families

• a new website “Make-it-in-Germany.com” easy access, easy work permit called the Blue Card.
• In science and higher education:
• Countless scholarships in both directions, hardly any tuition fees at German universities,
• 800 English diploma courses – the number of Indian students in Germany is increasing by 20% annually.

In terms of joint scientific output with Indian researchers, Germany leads the way and is second only to the US.

The German language training in Indian schools is expanding greatly: Through our partnership with 1000 KV schools, we aspire to reach the magical number of one million German learners in India by 2017.
Sure, you can get away with English almost everywhere, also in Germany. But you get so much more out of your experience if you know the language. That is why you started learning German with the help of Max Mueller Bhavan.

Notwithstanding the difficult economic environment, IGTC Mumbai had a successful final placement process for the Batch 2011 – 2013. Recruiters included Audi, BASF, Bayer, Bosch, Bosch Auto Electronics, Clariant Chemicals, DBOI, Dr. Oetkers, HDFC Limited, Infiniti Retail, Lanxess, Merck Sereno, Siemens Financial Services, Schaeffler Group, Schmersal India, TUV India, Wacker Chemie among many more. The average compensation offered was Rs. 4.50 lakh p.a., while the maximum was Rs. 7.50 lakh per annum.

Ms. Ankita Moghe was privileged to be selected as a part of the nine-month International Trainee Programme (2013-2014) initiated by the TÜV Nord Group. This comprehensive programme gives the trainees an insight into the business units of the group, a perspective to learn and implement the learning on an international landscape. It is intended to facilitate an exchange of experience and empower trainees with specific management and operational skills and a focused area of specialization. Trainees are constantly guided and led by mentors, training heads and their performance is closely monitored, evaluated and directed as per predetermined goals. It is an opportunity to interact with other trainees and colleagues from Germany and augment the Indo-German connects by exchange of knowledge, work pattern, structuring of ideas and presenting those into a well defined frame of requirements.

Mr. Vivek Komath, another student of IGTC Mumbai Batch 2011-2013, created history by being selected as one of the first ever CAReer Trainees from India by Mercedes-Benz India Pvt. Ltd (MBIL), Pune. The organization launched “The CAReer Program” in 2013 to recruit and train the next generation of managers and company leaders. The 15-18 month program comprises of three training modules – ‘Getting Started’ (Germany), ‘Crossing Borders’ (International Daimler location) and ‘Keep Moving’ (Germany) as part of the program. The first training module was organized from June 10th – 20th, at Stuttgart, Germany to induct and orient 32 trainees from 10 different nationalities to the world of Daimler.

For several years, the Indo-German Training Centre (IGTC) has fostered a strong synergy with the Berufsakademies in Germany, which have now consolidated to be known as the Duale Hochschule Baden Wuerttemberg (DHBW) or the Baden -Wuerttemberg Cooperative State University, Germany.

The DHBW is also based on the Dual System of Education encompassing theoretical learning with practical training and wherein every student is sponsored by a partner company. Across 8 campuses in Baden-Wuerttemberg, they train approximately 30,000 students across Bachelors and Masters programmes in Business, Engineering and Social Work Studies and collaborate with 10,000 partner companies in Germany.

On 20th November, 2012, IGTC welcomed a high level delegation from DHBW headed by President Reinhold R. Geilsdörfer and including senior representatives of various DHBW campuses. The purpose of the delegation was to explore a deeper collaboration between DHBW and IGTC including student exchange, short term study and internship modules, and ultimately the DHBW Masters degree in Business Administration for the existing IGTC Post Graduate Programme in Business Administration.

As the German organizations are deeply involved in the IGTC programme, the meeting was also attended by the following senior professionals:

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• Mr. Prasad Chandran, Chairman and Managing Director, BASF Group
• Mr. P P Srees, Vice President HR, BASF Group
• Mr. Vaibhav Rane, Country HR Expert – Talent Attraction, Bayer Group
• Ms. Izabela Megerle, Vice President HR and Admin, Lanxess India
• Mr. Devesh Srivastava, Vice President HR and Admin, Merck Limited
• Mr. S. Ramesh Shankar, Executive Vice President HR, Siemens Limited
• Mr. Rupesh Basu, Chief Manager HR, Siemens Limited

We look forward to a fruitful outcome to the meeting in the near future.