Building trust twenty thousand times: Dr Rajkumar Yadav and the power of face-to-face meetings

A programme that builds bridges

Partnering in Business with Germany was launched in 1998 as a “Manager Training Programme” with the motto “Fit for Partnership with Germany”. Today, it prepares more than 1,000 foreign managers from emerging and developing countries to initiate business with small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Germany and thus opens doors to markets that would otherwise be difficult to reach for German companies.

Over the years, three main principles have been established for German and for foreign companies while working on the programme: get to know the target market in question, create personal ties, reduce transaction costs. Today, the programme includes 22 partner countries, from eastern Europe to Asia and from Africa to Latin America.

A structured approach with tangible results

Dr Yadav participated in the programme with a clear goal in mind: winning German companies as partners for his business. Early discussions during company visits that were organised as part of the programme had already opened up the first tangible prospects for Dr Yadav. His initial review: “Some companies have demonstrated a strong potential for cooperation. One company shows clear interest in developing a joint project. One other German company would be willing to test our products on the German market – and this would be their first time working with an Indian partner.”

When asked to describe Partnering in Business with Germany he says: “The programme has played a crucial role by providing a structured platform which allows us to contact the relevant German companies. It has also helped us to understand the German business ecosystem and the business culture and thus build trust.”

India and Germany: partners with a future

Dr Yadav describes his home country as a fast growing economy with a strong focus on energy efficiency and sustainability. India is therefore much more than a sales market – it is a real innovation partner for German businesses. Indian companies like Pluss Advanced Technologies bring technical expertise, flexibility and a growing capacity for industrial scaling.

Such companies are looking for established market structures, precise quality standards and long-term reliability. And this is exactly where Partnering in Business with Germany comes into play – as a space of trust, a place where business relations can be formed and where they can develop on an equal footing.