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<br /><ul><li>Digitalisation and automation have been game-changers for manufacturers in achieving post-pandemic business goals. <br /></li><li>Over two-thirds of companies that have implemented IoT would have deployed at least one <keyword id="50691" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="digital" source="Orion">digital</keyword> twin in production by 2022.<br /></li><li>Digitalisation will help Indian manufacturers to compete in local and global markets.</li></ul>What does manufacturing look like in the post-COVID world? While the sector faced unforeseen challenges in the last two years, the pandemic has been a watershed event for technology in the sector. <keyword id="1568100" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="suprakash-chaudhuri" source="Orion">Suprakash Chaudhuri</keyword>, Head- <keyword id="6324890" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="digital-industries" source="Orion">Digital Industries</keyword>, <keyword id="163581" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="siemens-india" source="Orion">Siemens India</keyword>, believes that the need to converge the digital and the real worlds was felt most strongly during this time. <br /><strong><br />In an exclusive chat with <keyword id="1857762" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="business-insider-india" source="Orion">Business Insider India</keyword>, Chaudhuri spoke in great detail about how the manufacturing sector is digitally transforming itself with the use of technologies like digital twin, industrial internet of things (IIoT), artificial intelligence (AI) and a lot more.</strong><br /><br />Here are excerpts from an interview.<br /><cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Manufacturing has propelled into a completely new era post the pandemic. What do you consider as the biggest changes that transformed the industry during this period?" comment="subhead" text="Manufacturing has propelled into a completely new era post the pandemic. What do you consider as the biggest changes that transformed the industry during this period?"><span data-til="noop">Manufacturing has propelled into a completely new era post the pandemic. What do you consider as the biggest changes that transformed the industry during this period?</span></cmsannotation><br />The COVID-19 pandemic was a revelation for the industry at large. It exposed the entire world, irrespective of their technology adoption, to deal with – rapidly-changing market conditions, a soaring global population requiring dependable supplies, and simultaneously, an increasingly urgent need for greater sustainability. With the global pandemic now in its third year, most business leaders continue to face significant challenges, but also unprecedented opportunities if fully realised. <br /><br />Digitalisation came forward as the clear gamechanger to tackle these challenges. The need to combine the real and digital worlds, including the entire value chains, became evident. Unlocking the full potential of digitalisation and automation with innovative solutions ensures lower costs, shorter production cycles, increase in resilience and makes carbon costs more transparent.<br /><cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="While players have been rapidly adopting digitalisation and automation, what do you see as the most critical gaps of industrial digital transformation at this stage? How is Siemens collaborating with companies to help accelerate this goal?" comment="subhead" text="While players have been rapidly adopting digitalisation and automation, what do you see as the most critical gaps of industrial digital transformation at this stage? How is Siemens collaborating with companies to help accelerate this goal?"><span data-til="noop">While players have been rapidly adopting digitalisation and automation, what do you see as the most critical gaps of industrial digital transformation at this stage? How is Siemens collaborating with companies to help accelerate this goal?</span></cmsannotation><br />All industries are feeling the pressure of digital transformation. We are addressing the challenges our customers face through deep, process-centric solutions. <br /><br />Siemens is delivering next-generation solutions to help manufacturers transform their operations through our concept of Digital Thread – which is a distinct, linked, traceable sequence of activities in the product or production lifecycle, that is digitised and automated. There are two dimensions to this digital integration. One is horizontal integration. It is the integration of the digital flow from the digital twin of the product through the digital twin of production, then to the real production and the digital twin of performance. And then we have the second one, the so-called vertical integration between OT (Operational Technology) and IT (Information Technology). Secure communication, resulting in a secure exchange of data between OT and IT, is the backbone of digitalisation. <br /><br />With our deep domain know-how and vertical experience, we are helping our customers create a blueprint for their digital transformation across these vertical and horizontal dimensions and co-create solutions.<br /><cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Chief Information Officers (CIOs) in the industry often find it challenging to work with legacy systems and siloed approaches in a manufacturing environment. How is Siemens helping change this? Can you give us some examples?" comment="subhead" text="Chief Information Officers (CIOs) in the industry often find it challenging to work with legacy systems and siloed approaches in a manufacturing environment. How is Siemens helping change this? Can you give us some examples?"><span data-til="noop">Chief Information Officers (CIOs) in the industry often find it challenging to work with legacy systems and siloed approaches in a manufacturing environment. How is Siemens helping change this? Can you give us some examples?</span></cmsannotation><br />With consumers wanting more customised products and markets being shorter-lived than ever, companies must plan for shorter innovation cycles than in the past. Production facilities need to be designed with enough resilience and flexibility to scale up, then scale down—often in record time. Brownfield optimization of existing facilities using adaptable technology is as important as repairing and retrofitting services, as well as data analysis and predictive services solutions. Software and software-enabled hardware are increasingly becoming key competitive factors in plants with limited resources and legacy equipment. Our <keyword id="2803209" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="digital-enterprise" source="Orion">Digital Enterprise</keyword> offerings address this across the entire value chain. The Digital Enterprise brings together processes that were previously separate. It breaks down traditional silos and helps bridge the gaps between software and hardware, IT and OT, shop floor and top floor. <br /><br />Recently, Siemens and BioNTech expanded our collaboration for rapid expansion and creation of production capacity for global COVID-19 vaccine production with our latest automation and digitalisation technology.<br /><cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="What were the key focus areas of Hannover Messe 2022, where future technologies are showcased?" comment="subhead" text="What were the key focus areas of Hannover Messe 2022, where future technologies are showcased?"><span data-til="noop">What were the key focus areas of <keyword id="1942048" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="hannover-messe" source="Orion">Hannover Messe</keyword> 2022, where future technologies are showcased?</span></cmsannotation><br />This year we addressed the most persistent question of driving sustainable growth. Under the motto: “Let’s combine real and digital worlds for a sustainable tomorrow,” we showcased examples of how to achieve these goals and become a true Digital Enterprise. <br /><br />We demonstrated successful cases of using data more intelligently to combine the real and virtual worlds with the support of various technology highlights in the field of additive manufacturing, energy efficiency, digital twin, OT/IT convergence, artificial intelligence and data analytics, cybersecurity, electrification, industrial 5G, and industrial IoT from <keyword id="79174" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="edge" source="Orion">Edge</keyword> to cloud. As the highlight, we demonstrated how an electric car manufacturer is achieving performance and driving range goals, while also meeting sustainability and profitability targets using our solutions.<br /><cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="How do you see digital twin as a technology and its adoption evolving in the coming days, especially, outside the manufacturing arena?" comment="subhead" text="How do you see digital twin as a technology and its adoption evolving in the coming days, especially, outside the manufacturing arena?"><span data-til="noop">How do you see digital twin as a technology and its adoption evolving in the coming days, especially, outside the manufacturing arena?</span></cmsannotation><br />We see digital twin adoption in all kinds of organisations. However, its adoption in the manufacturing space is the most exciting. For example, Gartner expects over two-thirds of companies that have implemented IoT would have deployed at least one digital twin in production by 2022, to increase their effectiveness.<br /><br />Digital twin is simple and yet an immensely powerful interpretation of Industry 4.0. As a virtual representation of a product, production process, or performance, it enables the individual process stages to be seamlessly linked. This creates a consistent improvement in efficiency, minimises failure rates, shortens development cycles, and opens up new business opportunities. In other words, it creates a lasting competitive edge. Over the years, Siemens has shown the benefits of combining the real and digital worlds and how it works in practice.<br /><cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="India is evolving as a global manufacturing hub. What does Siemens’ roadmap look like?" comment="subhead" text="India is evolving as a global manufacturing hub. What does Siemens’ roadmap look like?"><span data-til="noop"><keyword id="3658" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="india" source="Orion">India</keyword> is evolving as a global manufacturing hub. What does Siemens’ roadmap look like?</span></cmsannotation><br />The Indian manufacturers have the aptitude and attitude to meet the growing needs. Adopting the right technology can make India self-reliant. With digitalisation, <keyword id="150428" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="indian-industry" source="Orion">Indian Industry</keyword>, especially SMEs (small and medium-sized enterprises) can achieve constant technical progress as well as the competence to meet the changing requirements of both local and global markets. <br /><br />The openness to adopt the latest technologies like AI, Edge and other IIoT solutions will be critical to India’s desire to maintain pace with global best practices and technologies. Using our efficient, digital workflows, innovative technologies and our rich domain expertise, we are enabling our customers to react quickly to changing market requirements and increase productivity, efficiency, and quality - sustainably.<br />

'Digital thread & digital twin tech will be game changers for manufacturing'

<p> <keyword id="71" type="POSITION" weightage="80" keywordseo="Prime-Minister">Prime Minister</keyword> <keyword id="6354477" type="PERSON" weightage="80" keywordseo="Narendra-Modi">Narendra Modi</keyword> on Monday said that his visit of <keyword id="87" type="COUNTRY" weightage="80" keywordseo="Germany">Germany</keyword> is aimed at realising the 'immense' potential that exists between New Delhi and <keyword id="3731" type="COMPANY" weightage="80" keywordseo="berlin">Berlin</keyword>, inviting companies of the European nation to <keyword id="47916" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="80" keywordseo="invest">invest</keyword> and manufacture in India.</p>
<p> "My visit to Germany and India's participation at the <keyword id="194013" type="COMPANY" weightage="80" keywordseo="Hannover">Hannover</keyword> Messe as a partner country is aimed at realising the immense possibilities that exist between us. In my discussions with <keyword id="92" type="POSITION" weightage="80" keywordseo="Chancellor">Chancellor</keyword> <keyword id="6419185" type="COMPANY" weightage="80" keywordseo="Merkel">Merkel</keyword> and with captains of German industry, I intend to share our sense of optimism and confidence in our future plans. I will also listen carefully to learn what more we can do to address concerns of German entrepreneurs with regard to investment and manufacturing in India," the Prime Minister wrote in an op-ed for a German newspaper, Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung.</p>
<p>
	Terming Germany as India's 'preferred partner' in skill development, Prime Minister Modi elaborated on the sectors in which the two nations can collaborate.</p>
<p>
	"We see Germany as our preferred partner in developing skills of young Indians. We also want to learn from Germany's path-breaking experiences in renewable energy. We wish to replicate your success in solar roof-top projects and off-grid solar and wind power solutions, as well as your expertise in grid integration and management. Our smart city project can utilize your technologies to achieve water, waste and urban development objectives. We admire Germany's achievements in the application of technology solutions to meet environmental challenges," the Prime Minister wrote.</p>
<p>
	"You are also our natural ally in my government's 'Clean India' initiative. We also want to benefit from Germany's experience in cleaning the River Ganga. We invite your transport companies, including your railways, to assist us in the modernisation of our transport networks. Your logistics and infrastructure companies can contribute to ongoing development of industrial corridors in India," he added.</p>
<p> Quoting <keyword id="6355532" type="PERSON" weightage="80" keywordseo="Mahatma-Gandhi">Mahatma Gandhi</keyword>, Prime Minister Modi referred to poverty as 'the worst form of violence', adding that man's progress in the 21st century will depend upon 'cooperation and collaboration'.</p>
<p>
	"I visualize India as a key engine of global growth. Our democratic principles and practices are guarantors of stability. We have a free media and an independent judiciary that allows all opinions to be aired without fear. We believe in 'rahein saath badhe saath' (stay together-grow together). There is no other way forward," he wrote.</p>
<p> "Mankind's progress in this century depends on cooperation and collaboration. Conflict is unthinkable. So is poverty which <keyword id="6356181" type="PERSON" weightage="80" keywordseo="Gandhi">Gandhi</keyword> called the worst form of violence. If we can take all Indians together into a better socio-economic future, I believe that the world we share will be a <keyword id="808955" type="COMPANY" weightage="80" keywordseo="better-place">better place</keyword> for all," he added.</p>
<p>
	Prime Minister Modi, currently in Germany for the second leg of his three-nation tour, inaugurated the Hannover Messe on Sunday and vowed to remove unnecessary regulations and procedures to simplify the process of foreign investment in India, as well as to make it easier for other countries to initiate business deals.</p>
<p> He also attended a round table conference with German <keyword id="5645" type="POSITION" weightage="80" keywordseo="CEO">CEO</keyword>s, with Voith CEO Dr.Hubert Lienhard and <keyword id="211583" type="COMPANY" weightage="80" keywordseo="Bombardier-Transportation">Bombardier Transportation</keyword> CEO <keyword id="991297" type="PERSON" weightage="80" keywordseo="Lutz-Bertling">Lutz Bertling</keyword> among those present at the meeting.</p>
<p> The Prime Minister arrived in Hannover after concluding a successful visit to <keyword id="6354785" type="COUNTRY" weightage="80" keywordseo="France">France</keyword>. He will depart for the final leg of his three-nation, nine-day tour on April 14, flying to Ottawa. (ANI)</p>

This is Prime Minister Narendra Modi's pitch for India in Germany, the world's engineering hub

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>Alexander Koerner/Getty Images</span></p><p class="caption">U.S. President Barack Obama tests virtual reality glasses at the ifm electronics stand at the Hannover Messe industrial trade fair on April 25, 2016 in Hanover, Germany. This is likely Obama's last trip to Germany as U.S. president. The Hannover Messe is the world's largest industrial trade fair.</p></div><p></p></div></div>An employee of video game company Valve says that around a third of the company is now focused on either virtual reality or augmented reality.</p><p><a href="http://www.theverge.com/2016/6/22/11999014/about-a-third-of-valve-is-now-working-on-vr">The Verge reports</a> that Valve hardware engineer Alan Yates <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Vive/comments/4osav8/lighthouse_tracked_osvr/d4gdtr6">posted in a discussion thread on Reddit </a>about Valve's virtual reality headset, the HTC Vive. He explained that around a third of the company is working on the technology.</p><p><strong>Here's Yates' comment in full:</strong></p><p style="padding-left: 30px;">"There are a number of teams around the planet doing great things in this new space, it is truly exciting. But we all owe a huge debt to those in academia and niche industries that kept the dream alive after the 90s VR implosion. People like Mark Bolas at USC where Palmer Lucky got his start and Jaron Lanier now at MSR who popularised the term Virtual Reality and has never stopped thinking about the future of digitally mediated reality.</p><p style="padding-left: 30px;">"I was super fortunate to start at Valve right around the time Michael Abrash had begun the AR/VR research team. It was a much smaller team then than it is now, it has since grown to encompass about a third of the company, but the key individuals that solved most of the really hard technological problems and facilitated this generation of consumer headsets are still here working on the next generation.</p><p style="padding-left: 30px;">"Digitally mediated reality is one of those incredibly impactful technologies, short of human space flight or life sciences I can't imagine working on something of more significance right now."</p>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/smartphone-iphone-sleep-brain-health-danger-2016-6">This is what happens to your brain and body when you check your phone before bed</a></h3>        <div>            <div>        <div class="ooyala-video-player" data-video-autoplay="false" data-video-id="BvMjVqcjoHdZBG6tTpXy8UkhB5_46U_c" data-player-variable="ooyalapopvideo" id="ooyalaplayer_popvideo" style="width:1280px;height:720px"></div>        </div>        </div>            </div>

Almost a third of employees at video game company Valve are now working on virtual reality

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>Adam Berry/Getty Images</span></p><p class="caption"> U.S. President Barack Obama (R) and German Chancellor Angela Merkel (CDU) (L) look at a satellite at the Kentucky stand at the Hanover Messe industrial trade fair on April 25, 2016 in Hanover, Germany. This is likely Obama's last trip to Germany as U.S. president. The Hannover Messe is the world's largest industrial trade fair. </p></div><p></p></div></div>As two of the world's most powerful individuals, it's only natural that the relationship between Chancellor Angela Merkel and President Barack Obama is one of the closest in <keyword id="6358883" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Politics">politics</keyword>.</p><p>Their friendship has been one of the few uplifting constants in a dramatically transformed world of politics.</p><p>But goodbyes are hard, and with president-elect Trump preparing to move into the White House, Obama has been carrying out his final international tour - and he made sure Germany and Merkel were on the itinerary.</p><p><a href="http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/obama-bids-adieu-good-friend-angela-merkel-offers/story?id=43510356">ABC quoted</a>Deputy National Security Advisor Ben Rhodes as saying:" They've worked together on almost every issue. They've developed a deep mutual respect, I think, and close friendship as well... He wanted to see Chancellor Merkel one more time to thank her for her partnership and leadership."</p><p>The pair tackled the global financial crisis, promoted free trade, and forged an international accord to fight climate change. But like all good things, their time working together must come to an end. We've gathered some of the best pictures of Merkel and Obama's time together.</p>

16 heartwarming photos of Barack Obama and Angela Merkel's friendship

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>Thomson Reuters</span></p><p class="caption">Volkswagen Chief Executive Winterkorn stands at the Volkswagen booth at the world's largest industrial technology fair, the Hannover Messe</p></div><p></p></div></div>German prosecutors open investigation into former Volkswagen CEO Martin Winterkorn.</p><p>Volkswagen's trouble began earlier this month when the <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/vw-told-to-recall-500000-cars-after-us-government-accuses-it-of-dodging-clean-air-standards-2015-9" target="_blank">US Environmental Protection Agency issued a "Notice of Violation" accusing the company</a> of <span>using hidden software - called a "defeat device" - to cheat clean-air standards during emissions testing.</span></p><p><span>Initially, the <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/vw-told-to-recall-500000-cars-after-us-government-accuses-it-of-dodging-clean-air-standards-2015-9" target="_blank">scandal covered 482,000 cars sold</a> in the US from 2009 to 2015. VW later revealed, however, that more than 11 million vehicles equipped with the company's once praised 2.0-liter TDI diesel engines were affected.</span></p><p><span><span>Winterkorn stepped down on Tuesday.</span></span></p><p>The news has already triggered lawsuits and government investigations, and caused the company to lose ten of billions of dollars in share value in the last two weeks.</p>

German prosecutors open investigation into former Volkswagen CEO Martin Winterkorn

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"></div><p></p></div></div>Eurozone industrial production smashed expectations in February, rising 1.1% from January alone, and 1.6% from February last year.</p><p>That's twice as strong as was expected. </p><p>Analysts expected industrial production to rise 0.4% month-on-month, but only 0.7% year-on-year.</p><p>Despite Europe's recent rebound, industrial data has lagged behind - the boost has mostly been driven by consumers - German and Spanish retail sales have recently risen at their fastest pace in 10 years.</p><p>Could this be a sign of a bit more balance?</p>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/game-of-thrones-economics-2015-3">'Game of Thrones': The Iron Throne is a terrible investment</a></h3>        <div>            <div>        <div class="ooyala-video-player" data-video-autoplay="false" data-video-id="tvNncydDrkw0Adz4yS0Vsg8DPK1cte-i" data-player-variable="ooyalapopvideo" id="ooyalaplayer_popvideo" style="width:1280px;height:720px"></div>        </div>        </div>            </div>

Eurozone industrial production smashed expectations in February

<p></p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"></div><p></p></div></div>Microsoft CEO Satay Nadella gave a keynote speech at Hannover Messe on Tuesday, a big conference for industrial technology, and talked about his vision for the next generation of technology.<p>His vision is that of the Internet of Things, where all kinds of inanimate things become connected and smart.</p><p>"The very thing that you produce, that you manufacture, for the first time is connected to the web of activity around it. It's not just the connection with everything, it's the ability to reason about that activity, that data that's being generated, continuously," Nadella said.</p><p>And then he&#xa0;used a line he's used before: "When you change the way you see the world, you change the world you see,"</p><p>That's a <a href="http://www.drwaynedyer.com/blog/success-secrets/">paraphrase of a quote from&#xa0;Wayne Dyer</a>:&#xa0;"<em>Change the way you look at things, and the things you look at change." </em>Dyer says that the line is&#xa0;"one of my secrets for feeling successful and attracting bountiful abundance into my life" and Dyer repeats it&#xa0;to himself&#xa0;daily.</p><p>Nadella isn't advocating the quote as a new-age, abundance-producing axiom.&#xa0;But Nadella says the idea of changing how we look at the world by collecting new kinds of data from machines, with machines that can interpret and learn, is&#xa0;"fundamental to how this new paradigm can perhaps have an impact in all industries in all walks of life."</p><p>To prove the point, Microsoft demoed a <a href="http://news.microsoft.com/hannovermesse2016/#sm.00001n4pzun9vbedlz8hdxlp6s0fg">bunch of new-age tech at the conference</a> including:</p><ul><li><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">Windows 10 streaming into car dashboards;</span></li><li><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">a partnership with&#xa0;Rolls-Royce to host and analyze airplane sensor engine data on Microsoft Azure;</span></li><li><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">manufacturing plants in Mexico and&#xa0;</span><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">Malaysia that can predict when a piece of equipment is about to fail;</span></li><li><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">aging industrial machines that can collaborate together on tasks and extend their usefulness and be controlled with a Microsoft Band device;</span></li><li><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">and a smart refrigerator for&#xa0;</span><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">laboratory and medical refrigerators that can alert its owners before it has a failure.</span></li></ul><p><span><span>On top of that, Microsoft <a href="https://blogs.windows.com/devices/2016/04/26/surface-the-fastest-growing-mobile-cad-device-for-siemens-solid-edge-users/">made a pitch to sell the crowd</a> on its&#xa0;Surface Pro 4 and Surface Book by announcing the PCs have been&#xa0;certified to run Siemens heavy duty, industrial design software, Solid Edge. Historically, high-powered computer-aided-design software like that needed expensive, powerful desktop PCs.</span></span></p><p><span><span>Microsoft says it's had success selling the Surface for engineering work already, including to<a href="https://blogs.windows.com/devices/2016/04/26/surface-the-fastest-growing-mobile-cad-device-for-siemens-solid-edge-users/"> companies like&#xa0;UK-based Ross Robotics</a>.</span></span></p><p>Here's Microsoft's one-minute video that summarizes Nadella's vision:</p><p><div></div></p><p class="embed-spacer">&#xa0;</p><p>&#xa0;</p><p>&#xa0;</p>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/what-scientists-think-aliens-could-look-like-2016-4">Here's what scientists think aliens could actually look like</a></h3>        <div>            <div>        <div class="ooyala-video-player" data-video-autoplay="false" data-video-id="F4OHNyMjE6G67rJ_BIUQhsxnEwgCT20t" data-player-variable="ooyalapopvideo" id="ooyalaplayer_popvideo" style="width:1280px;height:720px"></div>        </div>        </div>            </div>

Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella loves to use a quote from Wayne Dyer to describe the future of technology

<br /> Closely after making a five-day three-nation tour to Seychelles, Mauritius and <keyword id="6355572" type="COUNTRY" weightage="60" keywordseo="Sri-Lanka">Sri Lanka</keyword>, to reinvigorate the country’s ties with the Indian Ocean economies, Prime Minister <keyword id="6354477" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Narendra-Modi">Narendra Modi</keyword> is about to embark on a five-day Europe-Canada tour, which is eagerly watched by observers world over. The tour assumes significance on several counts.<br />
<br /> First, it is a continuation of the successful visits to <keyword id="6355311" type="COUNTRY" weightage="60" keywordseo="Japan">Japan</keyword>, Australia and the US over the last year, which not only enabled Modi to translate into trade, technology and defence pacts, but helped him market the ‘Make in India’ campaign that aims to position India as the ‘world’s factory’, in addition to being the top ‘services hub’ globally. Second, it points to the fact that the <keyword id="6360789" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="Modi-Government">Modi government</keyword> is keen on strengthening its foreign policy framework that aims at building and maintaining closer partnerships with not only global leaders such as the US and China, but strategic regional countries such as Japan in addition to key neighbourhood nations.<br />
<br /> Significantly, <keyword id="87" type="COUNTRY" weightage="80" keywordseo="Germany">Germany</keyword> and France—two of EU’s most powerful countries that have been India’s strong trade partners—are a key part of Modi’s travel itinerary. In Germany, Modi is expected to inaugurate the Hannover Messe 2015 fair along with German Chancellor Angela Merkel on April 12 (India is a partner country in the fair). The fair will provide an ideal platform for Modi to showcase India as an emerging manufacturing hub as part of his government’s Make in India campaign. Germany is the eighth-largest foreign direct investor in India—German <keyword id="44528" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="FDI">FDI</keyword> in India during 1991-2014 stood at $7.57 billion. Modi government’s focus on wind power, science, technology and engineering is expected to further enhance India’s trade with Germany.<br />
<br /> <keyword id="6354785" type="COUNTRY" weightage="60" keywordseo="France">France</keyword> is an equally important trade partner for India. Extending the civilian nuclear pact signed by India and France in 2008 with Areva—a French multinational group specialising in nuclear and renewable energy—selling 300 tonnes of nuclear fuel to <keyword id="79802" type="COMPANY" weightage="80" keywordseo="Nuclear-Power-Corporation">Nuclear Power Corporation</keyword> of India (NPCIL), the Modi government seeks to explore the possibility of a commercial agreement on supply of European pressurised reactors (EPR) for NPCIL’s proposed 9,900-MW Jaitapur Nuclear Power Project in Ratnagiri district in Maharashtra, though such as pact would depend mainly on economic and technical viability.<br />
<br /> Modi and <keyword id="24935" type="POSITION" weightage="60" keywordseo="French-President">French President</keyword> Francois Hollande are also expected to hold talks on the proposed $23-billion deal involving sale of 126 Dassault Rafale medium range multi-role combat aircraft to India. Also, with foreign direct <keyword id="47916" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="80" keywordseo="invest">invest</keyword>ment in the <keyword id="35450" type="COMPANY" weightage="60" keywordseo="insurance">insurance</keyword> sector being raised to 49% from 26%, France is likely to invest $5 billion in the sector.<br />
<br />
The European leg of Modi’s trip is also important considering EU is India's largest trading partner, accounting for around 20% of India’s trade globally. Trade between India and the EU was $57.25 billion between April and October 2014 and stood at $101.5 billion for fiscal 2014-15, a major part of which was accounted for by Germany, France and the UK, while other partner countries including Denmark, Finland and the Netherlands too contributed.<br />
<br /> Modi will be in Canada from April 14 to 16, making stops at <keyword id="29196" type="COMPANY" weightage="60" keywordseo="Toronto">Toronto</keyword>, <keyword id="82333" type="CITY" weightage="60" keywordseo="Ottawa">Ottawa</keyword> and <keyword id="72145" type="CITY" weightage="60" keywordseo="Vancouver">Vancouver</keyword>. The highlight of his three-day visit to Canada will be a public meeting at Toronto that is expected to be attended by a huge NRI crowd. India is Canada's largest trading partner in South Asia and continues to be a priority market under Canada's Global Markets Action Plan.<br />
<br /> On the flip side, Modi’s proposed stopover at <keyword id="59706" type="COMPANY" weightage="60" keywordseo="Brussels">Brussels</keyword> stands cancelled after EU failed to respond to India’s proposal to include the EU capital in his itinerary. While it is not clear what led to EU’s muted response, there are those who believe the slow progress of the trial of two Italian marines accused of killing two Indian fishermen in 2012 is one of the reasons, given the fact that EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini has been vocal in criticising India’s stance on the issue. India’s refusal to toe the line of the Western countries over the Ukraine crisis and Russia’s role in the conflict is also said to be one of the reasons. However, many European countries see dropping Brussels from Modi’s travel itinerary as a lost opportunity for providing a fillip to India-EU ties.<br />
<br />
Notwithstanding the political significance of the tour considering the changing global geopolitical climate, one key question is whether Modi will be able to take the trip beyond the realm of rhetoric and translate it into actionable trade and investment opportunities like what he achieved during the Japan visit which resulted in commitment for close to $40 billion Japanese investment in India.<br />
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(Image: Reuters)<br />

Will Modi’s Europe-Canada tour translate into measurable gains?

<p><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.5em;"><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"></div><p></p></div></div>BERLIN/STUTTGART (Reuters) - Volkswagen's first leadership crisis in a decade has burst into the open with Chairman </span>Ferdinand Piech<span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.5em;">'s surprise public denunciation of CEO </span>Martin Winterkorn<span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.5em;"> -- but the standoff is now more likely to play out behind closed doors.</span></p><p>Piech, 77, will meet cousin Wolfgang Porsche and other family members within days, company sources said, to discuss the rift his comments appear to have opened between their branches of VW's controlling clan.</p><p>A full board meeting is likely to follow.</p><p>"A phase of diplomacy will set in now," said one source. The company declined to comment through a spokesman.</p><p>The turmoil at the top of Europe's biggest carmaker reflects Piech-Winterkorn tensions that have escalated in step with the chief executive's growing confidence, insiders say.</p><p>It has also shifted attention from VW's growth ambitions to governance and performance problems, as challenges pile up and the earnings outlook darkens following a run of gains.</p><p>Markets have so far taken the ructions in their stride, with VW shares down 1.3 percent since Piech's outburst. But any feud extending beyond the company's May 5 shareholder meeting could prove more damaging.</p><p>"Change is coming anyway," Barclays analyst Michael Tyndall said, with Winterkorn's contract expiring in 2016 and Piech expected to retire the following year, as he turns 80.</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"></div><p></p></div></div></p><p>A degree of strategic reassessment is to be welcomed, Tyndall added in a note, "providing the resolution is speedy".</p><p>The last big intrigue to divide the founding family, Porsche's failed move to seize control of VW in 2008-9, dragged on for months and triggered years of investor lawsuits.</p><p>Under the delicately balanced -- some say dysfunctional -- ownership structure that emerged, the Porsche and Piech families together command 50.7 percent of VW voting rights, with the state of Lower Saxony controlling a further 20 percent.</p><p>In practice, strategic decisions also need support from German unions occupying half of the 20 supervisory board seats.</p><p>Echoing his ruthless 2006 ouster of Winterkorn's predecessor Bernd Pischetsrieder, Piech opened the hostilities on Friday with a German magazine interview in which he confided that he was "at a distance to Winterkorn".</p><p>His comments put an instant damper on expectations that Winterkorn would be reappointed as CEO beyond 2016, or else named to succeed him as chairman.</p><p>At board meetings over the past five months, Piech has aired growing criticism of the company's performance under his former protégé, sources told Reuters -- particularly in the United States, where the VW brand has fallen far short of sales goals.</p><p>Ballooning plant and investment costs are another concern cited by analysts, along with the lack of progress on a low-cost vehicle architecture to rival Renault's <RENA.PA> budget cars.</RENA.PA></p><p>Balancing these shortcomings, however, is the sheer pace of an expansion that has almost doubled group revenue and tripled profit during Winterkorn's eight-year tenure, propelled by roaring sales in China as well as acquisitions.</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"></div><p></p></div></div> </p><h3>KILLING THEM SOFTLY</h3><p>Piech met immediate resistance from VW stakeholders including Lower Saxony and labor chief Bernd Osterloh -- who said Winterkorn was "one of the most successful automotive managers" at the group and should have his contract extended.</p><p>Wolfgang Porsche, who chairs the family holding, said his cousin's outburst was only a "personal opinion".</p><p>Their reactions have led some to ask whether Piech is finally losing his grip in the final straight of a career spanning more than half a century.</p><p>Concerns were raised in 2012 about Piech's judgment and VW's governance, following the appointment of his second wife Ursula, a former kindergarten teacher, to the board.</p><p>But Piech, an engineer by training who transformed Audi from a struggling volume brand into a luxury car powerhouse, has ended several high-level careers with a few softly spoken words.</p><p>Former Porsche boss Wendelin Wiedeking is among axed executives who discovered their fate in his public comments. And Pischetsrieder, like Winterkorn, initially commanded family and union support under fire, yet was gone within months.</p><p>"My desire for harmony is limited," Piech explained in his 2004 autobiography.</p><p>The Volkswagen patriarch, who keeps a dagger collection, has professed a fascination with Japanese military tactics in World War Two, according to people who have worked for him.</p><p>"Piech is a fox," said one. "He may now just wait tactically and wear his opponents down."</p><p>Among VW investors, even fans of Winterkorn concede privately that a new CEO appointment now looks likely.</p><p>"The succession was bound to be tough," said one Frankfurt-based fund manager with a sizeable VW holding.</p><p>"Winterkorn's track record is extremely convincing but if this impasse can't be solved in an orderly way, new management might offer the chance of a clean break."</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"></div><p></p></div></div></p><h3>WELCOME CHANGE</h3><p>Arndt Ellinghorst, a London-based analyst with Evercore ISI, is less admiring of a CEO who has allowed investment to claim a larger share of sales at Volkswagen than at pure-premium rival BMW <BMWG.DE>, despite his company's superior scale.</BMWG.DE></p><p>"Almost every cost ratio at VW Group has increased and stands at a historically high level," said Ellinghorst, who now considers Porsche brand chief Matthias Mueller well placed to succeed Winterkorn.</p><p>Piech's move "forces the supervisory board to take a view," he said. "Uncertainty is bad news for shareholders in VW. Change, however, would be welcomed."</p><p>Beyond or behind Piech's criticism of Winterkorn, some insiders also see signs of a personal animus against the CEO who has come to embody VW's rise in a way he once did alone.</p><p>"A personality issue can't be ruled out," a VW source said. "Piech can be very extreme."</p><p>Those tensions were in evidence in September 2013 when, on the eve of the Frankfurt auto show, an anonymously sourced newspaper report predicted Piech's imminent retirement due to ill health, with Winterkorn to succeed him.</p><p>Piech turned up with Ursula at VW's lavishly catered media night, telling journalists that news of his death was premature.</p><p>"Is this still your press officer?" Piech asked Winterkorn as he crossed paths with the CEO and his spokesman at the event, according to Der Spiegel.</p><p>Whatever their personal dynamics, bystanders are understandably keen to stay out of the crossfire. Even Lower Saxony's Prime Minister Stephan Weil, a board member, was keeping his head down when approached by Reuters on Tuesday.</p><p>"The wisest thing to do at the moment is to say nothing," he said.\<span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.5em;"> </span></p><p>(Writing by Laurence Frost; Additional reporting by Jan Schwartz; Editing by Mark Potter)</p>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/charge-iphone-faster-apple-battery-life-2015-2">How to supercharge your iPhone in only 5 minutes</a></h3>        <div>            <div>        <div class="ooyala-video-player" data-video-autoplay="false" data-video-id="9hdGRuczob3nOr91AW6QS6gV7dw6BzKX" data-player-variable="ooyalapopvideo" id="ooyalaplayer_popvideo" style="width:1280px;height:720px"></div>        </div>        </div>            </div>

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