Testimonials

A famous saying of “You will never win if you never begin” holds true for our new batch of Executive participants who began their one year journey with such conviction and optimism. Designed for mid-career professionals, this programme inaugurated in 2009 is ideal to equip high performing managers with a holistic and cross-functional exposure to all aspects of management.

The 3rd batch of the EBMP comprises 29 participants from Indo-German member companies like BASF India, Batliboi, Beckman Coulter, Bosch, HDFC Ergo, Kuebler Automation, Larsen & Toubro Infotech, MAN Turbo, Norddeutsche Landesbank, New Multifab Engineers, Rittal, Siemens, Sauer Danfoss and Seepex India with an average of 10 years of work experience. They have come from diverse functional areas and departments of their organizations like Accounts & Finance, Administration, Corporate Communications, Design & Development, Information Technology, International Relations, Operations, Packaging, Quality Assurance, Sales & Marketing and Technical Services.

The inaugural ceremony of the EBMP on 14th July, 2012 commenced at 10 am with the welcome address by Ms. Radhieka Mehta, Director IGTC. She welcomed the participants and expressed that given the rich and diverse work experience of the participants, experience-sharing is one of the highlights of the programme with each batch offering unique learning contexts. The lamp of knowledge was lit to mark the auspicious beginning. Thereafter each participant briefly introduced themselves and expressed their enthusiasm to share and learn as much as they could. Participants were handed over a welcome kit at the training centre which incorporated some valuable reading material for the candidates on HBR’s 10 Must Reads – The Essentials and a book named Finance sense which would be extremely useful to them in their course.

This was followed by an inaugural address by Dr. Naik who emphasized the fact that this one year curriculum will facilitate greater depth in the learning process and accelerate their career graph in the corporate world.

The symposium on “Exploring Infinite Opportunities in German Organisations” at the Indo-German Urban Mela, on the 16th and 17th of April, 2012, was jointly hosted by Bajaj Allianz General Insurance Co. Ltd., BASF India Ltd., Bayer Group of Companies, Bosch Limited, Indo-German Training Centre, Lanxess India Pvt. Ltd., Merck Ltd and Siemens Ltd as an initiative of the Indo-German HR Fraternity.

It successfully brought together young students and distinguished industry experts to discuss what it means to be a part of a German Organisation. The objective of this symposium was to showcase the unique proposition of the German companies in India and to position the German companies as the preferred place to work in the minds of today’s young talent.

The distinguished panellists on both days discussed in detail, elaborating with live examples, the aspects of sustainability, ethics, technology and innovation, freedom and respect at the work-place, global exposure and the overall development of an individual.

The Placement season at IGTC for Batch 2010-12 commenced with a big bang with close to 50% of the batch of 48 having been retained by their training companies. It was only a close- knit group of about 25 students which formed the core placement team. Despite the upheavals in the economy of the West, this year too, the students have been welcomed into the fold by many reputed German companies in India like BASF, Bayer, Bosch Limited, Bosch Auto Electronics, Deutsche Bank, Dr. Oetkar, Evonik Degussa, Hella, Lanxess, Nielsoft, Protos, Siemens, Schaeffler Group, Volkswagen and many more.

The whole process converted the serious management institute into a close resemblance to a Wedding Planner’s office. There were brides and grooms lined up to be wedded to their prospective companies. The atmosphere of utmost professionalism coupled with anticipation and excitement, filled the IGTC premises as the classrooms were converted to Group Discussion and gruelling Interview rooms.

We have a few students expressing their views on the placement season this year; Sayama Kazi of Evonik Degussa India Ltd expresses “If you believe that dreams come true, there’s One that’s waiting there for you…”  As per normal standards the placement time starts in December. But for me the celebration came well before Diwali in 2011. After two successful internships in Sales & Marketing division, I had a Pre-Placement Offer letter as Business Development Manager. The German Dual Education system works wonders for anyone who believes in it like it did for me and all my batchmates”.

Vaidehi Limaya of Lanxess feels “After completing a tedious one and a half year of Business Administration course, what one would ideally want is a job placement which compliments all the hard work put in this education. Placements at IGTC assured that our hard work was put to good use. With known companies approaching this institute with interesting profiles, everyone here had something or the other to interest us. We were also well versed to face the grilling company interviews as we had prepared to face them with our mock interview experience”.

Kanchan Sumant was delighted to be recruited by Bajaj Allianz. She says “The experience I gained during my 6 months practical training at Volkswagen India helped me immensely to crack the rigorous selection processes conducted by the companies at IGTC. The projects which I worked on in VW enhanced the knowledge we acquired during our academic terms and gave me confidence to appear for interviews.  Eery effort was taken by IGTC to provide for student’s preferences regarding the companies and job profiles. Thus each of us has got what we aimed at and desired for before coming to IGTC”.

For Tanaya Gupte placement at IGCC was a cherry-on-top. “Having worked in an organization with German culture, I always knew that after the 18 month PGPBA at IGTC I wanted to continue working in a German organization. Keeping this interest in mind, Ms. Radhieka Mehta entrusted IGCC with the responsibility to train me. My mentor at IGCC Pune was extremely supportive throughout the training period. After experiencing the work culture, it wasn’t too difficult for me to make this decision. I am glad that I trained and I am placed with IGCC”.

For Zenia Vajifdar the Deutsche Bank experience was quite enriching, “The Group Discussion round was interactive and fun, thanks to the freshness of the topic of debate. The final interview round which lasted for about 45 minutes, was extremely well-balanced, covering issues from personal to technical to social. The experience was an insight into the detailed and systematic method of processing of a German enterprise”.” She was glad to be in our dream company.

Shilpa Sood of Bosch Limited was overwhelmed to get a dream profile in her dream company. She expresses “I guess God was happy; I might have done some good deed somewhere that Bosch had an opening for a Business Analyst Role. My past work experience in procurement made me realize that I liked working with data, I had even enjoyed stats sessions in class and so my affinity towards the role. The interview was grilling, no doubt, I spoke about the statistical models, the research methodology as well as my learnings from my previous company but the VP was so supportive and friendly that it made me feel at ease which helped me give the interview to the best of my ability. This is one of the many things that I appreciate about Bosch, all the employees irrespective of their profile and post are so warm, that it speaks volumes about the values and the integrity of the company. All in all I feel very contented to be placed in the company I always wanted to get in.

Jatinkumar Ashara was overwhelmed to get an opportunity to face senior panels from organizations such as Bosch, Deutsche Bank AG, Bajaj Allianz and many more. He feels “The experience of facing the panel and sharing the rich experience gained from theory as well as practical training is beyond description.” Similarly Saumya Poojari of Siemens also feels that getting the right exposure was essential and IGTC was successful in moulding her in a manner to give the best in whatever she does.

For Manzoor Ahmed of Bosch Limited getting placed in this top German MNC was a dream come true. He believes “The constant guidance of the Faculty, application oriented approach towards studies right from the beginning and being groomed towards corporate etiquettes helped me extensively to transform my personality from an engineer to a responsible management professional”.

For the Director, Ms. Radhieka Mehta, the most satisfying part of the whole placement process was the fact that the students have been able to secure dream profiles in excellent German companies and are all set to begin a new journey.

While the encouraging response of the recruiters has already spread warmth during this chilly season, the present trend of recruitment is an ample testimony of the fact that IGTC stands for excellence in business education and the kind of faith recruiters have in the brand and the student quality.

“As a Bosch employee, my first week was planned for visits to the various Bosch plants in Germany. I started with a small picturesque town in southern Germany, Blaischach which mesmerized me by its natural scenic beauty. People were friendly and always ready to help. It was nice to interact with people with whom I had conversed only through mails and over the phone. This helped me to become friends with them in no time. This visit was followed by a couple of other visits to towns like Waiblingen and Rutesheim. The hospitality of Germans was evident in a lot of instances and all this certainly increased my admiration for the high degree of professionalism with which they treat their people.

After the completion of my visits to the Bosch plants, I had moved to Schwäbisch Hall, Goethe Institut for my German Language Course at A 2.1 level. Besides the core curriculum, the 4 week Course was designed in such a way that I got a chance to not only learn the language but at the same time comprehend the German culture and their way of living. A visit to the local brewery and tasting the famous German beer was a unique experience by itself. Also the ‘Kaffee und Kuchen’ party was something I can never forget.

Weekends were a lot of fun. The institute had organized excursion to places like Heilbroon, Wuerzberg and Ulm. I managed to get myself on the top of the world’s tallest church at Ulm and also observe the magnificence and majesty of the royal palaces at wuerzburg, a typically historical town famous for its royal palaces.

The one month in Germany has been the most enriching experience of my life because there was a lot of learning, both professionally and at a personal level.”

For an inventor company like Bayer, young talent is fundamental to long-term success. To provide deserving students with an opportunity to enhance their skills and get their careers off to a good start, Bayer launched a Scholarship Program called “Championing Success” for the IGTC students. The Memorandum of Understanding was signed on 28th July, 2011 by Mr. Steinruecke, Radhieka R Mehta, and Mr. KS Harish (Vice-President HR, Bayer Group).

Subsequently, in September 2011, Bayer conducted a rigorous selection process consisting of a Written Test, Group Discussion and Personal Interviews to select four meritorious students from the Batch 2010 – 2012 – Karthik Shivshankar, Nithin E.V., Ekta Dusija and Vaishali Baid.

On 4th November 2011, the Bayer Scholarships event was hosted at Bayer House, Powai. Mr. Stephan Gerlich, Country Group Head, Bayer Group of Companies in India awarded the students with the Bayer Scholarship Scroll and the Bayer Scholarship amount of Rs. 50,000/- each. Other top management professionals present at the event included Dr. Horst-Uwe Groh, Head of Corporate Human Resources Organisation, Bayer AG, Dr. Tim Bielfeldt, Head of HR International, Bayer AG and Mr. K S Harish, Vice President HR, Bayer Group in India.

3 months internship at Bosch GmbH, Germany

“Die Erfahung war wirklich wunderbar!” This was the spontaneous reaction of the seven IGTC trainees who returned with a new outlook towards the global business environment after completing a three month stint with Bosch GmbH, Germany.

The seven students did their initial two practical training stints with Bosch in India at its various locations – Bangalore, Nashik and Jaipur. Based on their exceptional performances, they were given the opportunity to complete their final training stint with Robert Bosch GmbH, Germany at Stuttgart, Karlsruhe & Schwieberdingen respectively.

Thus, the “Bosch kids” experienced the real German-European work culture in its true sense. The last few months in Germany were one of the best experiences in their lives both from the educational perspective as well as the inter-cultural leanings. This stint offered challenges not only concerning work culture but also with respect to the environmental conditions faced by them during the winter season. “When we left India, the temperature here was 25 degree C. But when we landed there in Munich, it was as cold as 1 degree C. That’s where I realized how far I had come from home and how different it was from the familiar surroundings of our homeland!” says Radhika Atre, one of the trainees, who was completely mesmerized by the country.

Rakesh Tomar a student of IGTC, who originates from Delhi shares his dreams and aspirations with us. This young and dynamic lad, who spent three months away from India, has a tale of his own. “My career objective is to work in an International multicultural environment and my training phase in Germany provided me the insights to prepare me to achieve my goals. It was challenging to work with a highly skilled workforce.

I was assigned to study the regional practices of Europe and asked to implement them in India. Though the business practices and distribution channels are different in Europe, it provided me an understanding of the business environment and the new concepts that are emerging there, which can have a considerable impact on the business operations in India also. In addition to this I was asked to prepare a roadmap for the implementation of a segmentation strategy in India. I coordinated with my NAFTA counterparts and Bosch Australia, who had experience with implementing a similar strategy. After discussing my approach with my Boss, I could understand their concerns for the product from their perspective. Thus my project gave me an opportunity to understand the implications of the business decisions as a whole and the outcome was appreciated by my Indian as well as German counterparts.

The professionalism exhibited by the colleagues while working could also be seen after office hours, when we grouped together to play football every Wednesday. I really found it hard to make my “football frenzy German counterparts” understand why India as a nation is obsessed with cricket.

Amit Kulkarni, also a student of the Indo-German Training Centre, Mumbai has a different take on his experience in Germany. He states “Being an engineer, this was my first stint with the finance department and I was bewildered whether I could live up to the expectations of my colleagues in Germany. I got the opportunity to be a part of the Controlling Department in the Gasoline systems. Having undergone various financial subjects during my course at the training centre, I took it up as a challenge and was ready to overcome the fear of number crunching.

The German efficiency & professionalism was visible through their work. Seeing was one thing, being there and living it was exhilarating. Financial controlling at Bosch GmbH is a very dynamic process, one learns to analyse and deal with numbers. On the other hand for a car enthusiast like me, I got the opportunity to interact with prestigious clients like Daimler Benz, BMW, Audi VW & the list goes on – which was really a fantastic experience for me. My German colleagues took deadlines seriously & made it a point to complete all the work on time. They were flexible but were keen on the quality and output of their work. They did believe time is money and I could sense the commitment every time I entered my Department.

The country side of Stuttgart was cold but the people there were warm. The commute in the local trains (S-Bahn & U Bahn as it is said by the Germans) was the most enjoyable experience. Though the temperature was freezing cold, we did make it a point to have fun all along.

Radhika Atre goes down memory lane and narrates her experiences during her stay in Germany. “It was a roller coaster ride of 3 months …………. that’s all I can say!!! The ride was bumpy at times but it was an experience beyond expectations because it’s not every day you get a chance to freeze yourself in -15 degrees temperature & still enjoy. It was a dream come true to work with a German giant- Robert Bosch. I got the taste of the German way of working on my very first day!!!! The first meeting was arranged with the HR in Stuttgart, Feuerbach plant (the head office for Diesel system) where my four classmates & I were supposed to do our internship. At 10 am sharp we were introduced to the HR coordinator with whom till date we had corresponded through mails for this internship. She handed out few forms to us regarding the code of conduct, rules & regulations & most importantly the map of our department because the plant area was very huge. For many days I used to forget the way to my department building.

After completing few formalities, I was ready to meet my new department in Germany & I was thrilled to see how things worked. My department was DS SCC (Diesel Systems Sales, Cost Commercial Coordination) which is one of the most crucial departments in Diesel Systems because of the work they do and the impact of its activities on Bosch. In the department I was introduced to my mentor who made sure that I was comfortable. My department colleagues seemed bewildered when I introduced myself in German and conversed with them fluently in their language. I was entrusted with the job to support the SCC 1 & SCC 2 teams. My German colleagues became an integral part of my life during my internship.

A noticeable fact was that there wasn’t a single individual from India!!!! I took this fact in my stride because it only meant that I would be getting opportunities to learn new things from people with different cultures & different mindsets. There were people of different countries apart from Germany like China, Finland, Sweden, South America, Brazil etc. This mix of people brought different thoughts and different styles of working which I experienced during my tenure of three months. Besides the project that I was given to me involved tremendous amount of number crunching and data retrieval from various departments. This helped my interaction with people in the organisation at all levels.

It was not just work which made my life interesting in Germany but I got an opportunity to explore this beautiful country. Visiting the Eiffel Tower was a dream come true for me, because I was witnessing one of the Seven Wonders of the World. The Louvre Museum and all other places in Paris showed us the typical European style structures. The city of Berlin only added another perspective about Germany with its historic monuments. In the city of automobiles – Stuttgart, I got a glimpse of Formula 1 racing which was an experience worth a million words. I was lucky enough to see the Wine festival & the amazing New Years Eve with all the fireworks & champagne to toast!!!! On my very last day at work I was gifted a Bosch souvenir as a sign of remembrance of my stay with my colleagues there”.

Thus, the three-month long internship at Bosch Germany came to an end for the seven trainees. Germany – a country with innovation & advancement in technologies was the most suitable place for them to learn and explore diverse facets of life. It reinforced the German way of living – their professionalism, their positive attitude, their jest in adhering to deadlines and detailing every job. It was an experience of a life time for these dynamic minds.

Corporate Lecture by Mr. Kai Bendix – Managing Director, NIVEA India

Mr. Kai Bendix, Managing Director of NIVEA India Pvt. Ltd., is one of the most eminent speakers to have addressed the IGTC students on “The Passage to India – Taking NIVEA from Tradition to Modernity”. As stated by Mr. Bendix “Skin and beauty care is our passion. NIVEA represents a state-of-the-art skin and beauty care, combining systematic consumer orientation, reliable quality, and a tangible brand personality”.

As an international branded consumer goods company, NIVEA is growing throughout the world. Their key focus regions include Western Europe, the USA, China, Russia, Brazil, and India. In 2008, Beiersdorf globally generated sales of €5.97 billion and has approximately 22,000 employees worldwide who strongly feel committed to the company’s goals.

NIVEA has been awarded the Most Trusted Brand 2009 by Reader’s Digest in Europe for the tenth consecutive year. NIVEA in India is 89 years young and was launched in 1920. For NIVEA innovation is the norm of the day. They believe in thinking about tomorrow and hence their research & development expense amounts to €149 million. There are about 100 newly developed products in 2008 and 87 patent applications.

Mr. Bendix made the students aware of the vast product portfolio of NIVEA which includes Skin Care, Hair Care, Color Cosmetics etc. According to him the brand NIVEA has various attributes like trust, identity, quality and desire which are the key driving forces to retain existing customers and attract new ones. The students were given an insight into the concept of brand equity and its relevance to NIVEA. It encompasses availability, preference, loyalty, awareness, familiarity, image and association which are of paramount importance to the company.

For Mr. Bendix, his constant focus is to implement global concepts on local level in India which will enable him to maintain uniformity with the brand globally. NIVEA uses various brand building tools to promote and market its products, encompassing classical Above-the-line communication, Below-the-line-activations and Public relations. Their ATL activities include print, online and television commercials. Their BTL activities comprise of sampling and sponsoring events like the NIVEA Princesses @ Femina Miss India 2009 and also the IPL- Chennai Super Kings Association.

The brand architecture for NIVEA includes its various sub-brands with distinct brand strategies and innovative product launches & re-launches. Mr. Bendix was instrumental in reinforcing the various branding, advertising, marketing concepts which the students had learned in their classroom sessions at the training centre with his first hand experience of handling a big brand like NIVEA.

At the end of the session each student was handed a goody bag containing various NIVEA products as the Managing Director believes that it is important to experience the brand “skin-deep” to enjoy its numerous offerings. The students were all charged up and in high spirits. It was a truly enlightening and informative session for the IGTC students.

Mr. Prasad Chandran, Chairman, BASF Companies in India and Head – South Asia gave the inaugural talk on “Values create Value” which emphasized values as a foundation for the progress and growth of our country. While entering the corporate world, every budding manager faces corruption in some or the other form as the biggest hurdle. Despite being the fastest growing economy in the world, our country is losing its edge because of this dark side. He spoke about BASF’s “Million Minds” Project which believes in spreading the message to Indians to stop being “givers” and to stand up to make a difference to society at large. He questioned the students on what they believed is their value proposition and how they can contribute to India as a value brand.

The seminar series will continue as a 10 session plan, which would include very interesting topics such as Evolution of Corporate Governance and Business Ethics in India; Corporate Governance – an Overview, Structures and Styles; Sustainable Development at BASF; Ethical Dilemmas at Workplace; Finance and Ethics – Importance of Financial Statements and Ethics in Mergers and Acquisitions; Management and Ethics; Sharing Case Studies of Successful Role Models. All these lectures will be delivered by senior business heads from BASF.

The Indo-German Training Centre, Mumbai inaugurated its 2nd Executive Business Management Program on 2nd July 2011. There were 26 participants from diverse Indo-German member companies like BBraun Medical India, BASF India, Batliboi, Bayer Business Services, Bericap India, Bosch, Ericsson India, HDFC Ergo General Insurance Co., Lapp India, Volkswagen India etc. who constituted the Class of 2011 – 2012. These executives had varied experience ranging from 3 years to 20 years. They came from diverse functional areas and departments of their organizations like Accounts & Finance, Administration, Corporate Communications, Design & Development, Information Technology, Internal Audit, Operations, Production, Quality Assurance, Sales & Marketing, Strategy and Technical Services.

Each participant was handed over a welcome kit at the training centre which incorporated some valuable reading material for the candidates on What Management Is by Joan Magretta and HBR’s 10 Must Reads – The Essentials. It entailed 10 seminal articles by management’s most influential experts, on topics of perennial concern to ambitious managers and leaders hungry for inspiration – and ready to run with big ideas to accelerate their own and their companies success.

The inauguration commenced with the traditionally lighting of the lamp followed by the director Ms. Radhieka R Mehta’s welcome address. She gave a brief insight on the training centre’s parent body – Indo-German Chamber of Commerce and its numerous services which it offers to its member companies. She emphasized the role of the Chamber as being a significant catalyst for the promotion of trade and industrial relations between India and Germany. She further moved on to the details of the Executive Program, its course content, strong faculty which is the forte at IGTC and most importantly emphasizing the fact that though the group size is small but definitely rich in experience, which can facilitate greater depth in the learning process.

Subsequently, senior faculty from diverse functional areas of Business Management addressed the audience and shared their perspective on the programme. Dr. Mankad, a Ph.D. in International Finance and a Post-graduate from the University of Pennsylvania, USA, gave an insight to the participants on the highly competitive and dynamic/changing economic environment and the need of professionals to be updated with the current trends in India and the world. Dr. Anil Naik, a Gold Medalist from the first batch of PGDM from IIM Calcutta and a Doctorate in Turnaround Strategy, gave the participants a brief overview on strategy and its various implications on today’s companies. He also emphasized the importance of reading numerous business magazines like India Today, Business World, Outlook etc. to keep oneself abreast with the happenings in the corporate world. Ms. Chitra Chandrasekhar, a post graduate from the Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore, explained the significance of Quantitative Techniques and it being an integral subject, which lays the foundation for all management modules like marketing, finance, operations and human resources. Mr. Fakih, a Masters in Financial Management from the Jamnalal Bajaj Institute of Management, very emphatically stated that Finance was an easy subject if students apply their mind and give it its due weightage.

This was followed by each participant giving a brief introduction about themselves stating clearly their expectations from the Executive Business Management Program and ways in which the training centre could enhance their learning curve. Few of the expectations which the participants shared were a need to improve their thought process from a business perspective, exposure to overall business portfolio, work towards strategic thinking and planning, increase knowledge in commercial and financial functions, ways to enhance productivity, working in a team to increase profitability etc.

EBMP Participants Testimonials:-
“I must confess that I am truly blessed to have come and joined the Indo-German Training Centre. The class room ambience is excellent, it immediately switches us on to the learning mode and faculties are real time inspiring trusted Gurus. My batch mates are nice and supportive. I am confident the journey which I have started and the knowledge which I will gain from here, will be cherished for a long time and help me groom for future challenges.”

Mr. Shailesh Patil, Divisional Manager – Sales, Batliboi Ltd.
“My experience at EBMP has been so far excellent in terms of study environment, process of delivery, content of course and mix of candidates. The ocean of knowledge, experience and methodology of imparting information by the legendary gurus’ is just extraordinary. The first couple of days, have clearly wiped out every speck of doubt to conclude that the decision to join IGTC is, one among the best & right decisions I had taken so far and I am proud to be a part of it.

Though it took several months of online self – research to come to a decision from numerous alternatives of executive management courses, today I feel, it is worth being here and I am confident that the learning’s at this institution would surely carve a better professional career in future for me. The treasure of examples from every walk of our day to day life by each Professor makes learning interesting and ignites the desire to listen to more and more. It’s just not lectures, books, laptops, presentations and certificate but a Lifetime Experience to acquire insights of Management from World Class Experts.”

Mr. K. Ravikumar, Therapy Specialist & Internal Trainer, B Braun Medical India Pvt. Ltd.
“It’s difficult to describe the experience, the atmosphere and the enthusiasm of the lecturers as well as the staff members of IGTC. 2nd July 2011 was the inaugural day of EBMP at IGTC, it was good to see that they still follow the tradition of lighting the lamp before starting with new batch – “Where there is light, darkness cannot be; Where knowledge has come, ignorance must quit.” – Swami Chinmayananda

“We are only two lecture’s old but I feel as if I am a part of a big family, where in participants from various background and culture have become my new friends and they are ready to help each other without any resistance. The faculties are extremely experienced and encourage class participation.”

Mr. Vishal Gajdhane, System Engineer-ITO, Bayer Business Services Pvt. Ltd.
To conclude the Indo-German Training Centre looks forward to a positive exchange of ideas and sharing of knowledge in class, a sound peer interaction and network which will remain with the participants for the rest of their lives.

It was January 03, 2011 around 09:00 am in the morning. It was my first morning of the first day of my first tour abroad ever, that too in a far away land of Deutschland.   I was standing anxious at a platform of Stuttgart Mainheim Station, waiting for a train to Schwaerbisch-Hall Hessental.  Anxiety was obvious and may be chilling breeze at minus temperature was compounding that feeling further. But that anxiety or nervousness could not stop me from not getting mesmerized by the beauty of this amazing nation right from word go. And, it all started at Stuttgart Mainheim station.  It has such a quintessential old world charm, reflected in its design and architecture, but imaginatively combined with new-age modernity and technology. It has small and big beautifully decorated shops and restaurants around. Also, the glimpses of Christmas festivities could be easily seen and felt in the air. A big, beautiful Christmas tree, decorated in the middle of a station, became a centre of attraction.

Train started at around 09:30 for Schwaerbisch-Hall Hessental. Sitting by a window, what all I could see outside was snow, snow and white covers of snow only, everywhere, from mountain hills to trees to cars to rooftop of houses and factories. I never had seen snow before and now I could only see was Snow. I reached to my destination, Schwaerbisch-Hall station at 11:20am and met my first friend there, a shy, lanky Russian, Artem Soldatov. He had also come for Deutsche language course at Goethe Institute. We decided to walk to Institute (of course, with the help of a map) and honestly speaking, I fell in love for this place at first sight.  Schwaerbisch-Hall, a small but amazingly beautiful town, is situated on the banks of river Kucher.

Finally we reached Goethe Institute. It is an old, simple but elegant three storey building located nearby main marketplace of the town. We were hungry enough and could not wait to barge on snacks and juices arranged for us. There are various batches depending on levels of courses, from beginner’s A1 to highly proficient C2. The institute has highly systematic approach to decide upon the level at which one has to be put.  It consists of a personal interview, followed by the written test, to test both verbal as well as written proficiency of a student at present. I was interviewed by a charming old lady, Frau Regina Baumann.  Her warmth and affection made my all anxieties and nervousness go for a toss. She advised me to join A1 course and assured me that I will be proficient enough to communicate in deutsche by the end of a course, sure enough to fire confidence within me. These small-small gestures and interpersonal warmth are what constitute greatness in real sense, I think. Then, we had been allotted an individual accommodation at service apartment, not very far from the Institute. Fortunately I got a room on the second floor from where I get most panoramic view of a town, as service apartment was on a hillside. First day was a rest day and we were sinking into musings of a new land.

Next day, we reached Institute at 7 am in the morning. After breakfast in the mensa (German word for mess/canteen), we gathered at Institute Auditorium for a welcome address by Institute Director, Frau Barbara Malchow – Tayebi. Though I did not get what all she said, still could get gist of it. She told us about Institute, its activities, its history; she welcomed all of us to the Institute and assured good experiences ahead. To my amazement, there were 92 students from 36 nations (from all continents except Antarctica, of course) and across all age-groups. The youngest in the batch was 18 year old boy from Turkey to 50 plus men and women. It was a truly global class. I was the only Indian among 92 students, representing India. These 92 students were divided into 6 classes from A1-A2 to C1-C2, as per various levels of certifications. Each class has been allotted a class teacher. Frau Irene Lukasch has been named as a class-teacher for our class, A1. She is one of the most beautiful, charming, and energetic person I ever had come across. In her fifties, her child-like effervescent energy was infectious. My class was an assemblage of 12 students of different nationalities. There was a middle-aged American soldier-Dan, a Chinese Mathematician-Xiang, a Russian Physicist-Timur, an Egyptian Doctor-Ahmed, a Turkish lady- Bahar, a young African university student-Nelson from Malavi (West Africa), a Japanese engineer- Hiroaki, a Korean student-Yoghung, a senior lawyer-Marco and two under graduates-Amanda and Victor from Brazil. I was feeling more like a Global Citizen in true sense.

One of the uniqueness of Goethe Institute is its teaching methodology. The teaching schedule is systematically divided into class-room session every morning and various interactive activities in post-lunch and evening sessions. The class-room teaching was anything but boring blackboard-chalk kind of teaching. It mostly consists of small-small group activities and assignments, including role-playing which makes you participate, hook-on your interest and thus, highly successful in its effect. The post-lunch and evening interactive programs and activities  were innovatively designed which includes Listening exercises, Phonetic sessions, Guided tour to Museum, Art Galleries, Market-places, local brewery unit & other historical places in the town, get-together session over drinks (Stammtisch), Deutsch movies at Goethe Kino, Parties & games at Goethe Pub, Goethe Choirs, Coffee and cake party, International buffet. There is also one directive that all communication during these activities should be in Deutsche only. All these activities are aimed at application of classroom teaching in real life communication by audio-visual-interpersonal communication and enhance your learning capabilities. And not surprisingly, it has such a great multiplier effect to pick-up language with all its nuances quickly. All these activities were planned and we had been given a detailed day-wise schedule for an entire month on the first day itself. If planning was immaculate, execution was equally perfect. What impressed me most are little intricacies and warm human touch with which all these programmes are designed and executed.

Schwaerbisch Hall has a historical significance. The town had come into existence for salt extraction from Kucher River even before eleventh century ‘Hall’ is related with salt in German and Schwaerbisch is the name of that particular region. It has a magnificent church, located centrally, and built in eleventh century. Most of the old buildings around the church exhibits particular architecture. It also has a very beautiful museum where historical artefacts, souvenirs, handicrafts, paintings and information are preserved and displayed. The town also boasts of stupendous art gallery of world famous American painter Alex Kats. Located beside a river, this art gallery has collection of art and paintings of this great artist, especially big wall size paintings are mesmerising. I shop first painting of my life here. The town is also home to one of the most famous beer brands in the region, Haller Lowenbrau. A special visit to its brewery unit was an experience in itself. It is a completely automated plant which produces 10Million litres annually with only four workmen. Geographically also, unique positioning of this town makes it perfect picturesque.  It is surrounded by hills on one side and farms on other side. I never got tired of clicking the scenic beauty of this town.

The events like Stammtisch, Parties & games at Goethe Pub, Goethe Choirs, Coffee and cake party, International buffet provided unique opportunity not only to communicate in Deutsche but also to interact with people around the world, understanding their views, culture and sensibilities. Friday weekend parties at Goethe Pub, a small party hall inside Institute, used to be great unwinding time for all of us. Tapping our feet to various tunes especially Brazilian ones was a great fun. Coffee and cake party was arranged by group of friends who have a great long association with Institute. The various German speciality cakes were so tasty that I remember we finished-off those 15-16 different cakes within 20 minutes. There I met a very old lady, Christina, who is a great admirer of India. She had been to India thrice and is in complete awe of this nation. It was heartening to see her love for India and Indian culture. One more event which we enjoyed a lot was International Buffet. Cooking our own cuisine delicacies and serving it to people across the world was an experience in itself. But being a vegetarian, I realised my limitations to taste different mouth-watering delicacies of various regions. Alas!

Every Saturday was a tour day for us. Institute had organised excursion to places like Stuttgart, Wuerzberg and Rothenberg. In a trip to Stuttgart, we also visited Mercedes Benz Museum. Undoubtedly it was one of the most memorable days of my life. The way entire history and evolution of this great iconic brand has been chronicled over seven floors of this hi-tech museum leaves you spellbound. This evolution is wowed with contemporary history of nation and presented pictorially as well. Evolvement of engines, iconic models from 1910s to futuristic concept cars, gigantic trucks, engines for aeroplanes takes us to entirely different world and we realised what makes it a such great and powerful brand. On the other hand, Wuerzberg and Rothenberg are historical towns famous for its Palaces and Churches. We couldn’t take our eyes-off magnificence and majesty of these royal places. I just wonder how much resources and efforts might have been put to make life truly king-size for royal family. I have a great admiration for high degree of professionalism and initiative with which Germans respect and preserve their culture and history and historical places, in turn. It is certainly a lesson for India.

The January 27 was our last day at Goethe Institute. These twenty-five days went-off like few moments, we enjoyed each and every moment of. It was such a great feeling for being a part of this great institution even for a while. Great institutions are not built overnight, but are nurtured continuously and shaped-up by people, their vision, character and values, I realised. Equally I am in awe of this amazing nation. It is not only economic or technological prowess, but it is power of its people and their values. A character of a nation is built through its institutions, governance and leadership and Germany has done it so beautifully. They respect and their art and culture as much as they believe in Science and Technology; they love their traditions as much as they embrace liberalism; They are punctual, disciplined and amazingly systematic in approach still filled with so much warmth and humanitarian attitude. No surprises then, Germany is more than a superpower, a truly a great nation. It was also equally enriching experience to study, interact and share with individuals of various nationalities. We studied, laughed, shared, danced, sang, cooked, ate, toured, clicked and did everything possible to make most out of the opportunity provided to us. I made friends of lifetime. This one month, its moments have become part of my memory, I will cherish forever in my lifetime.