India has been a priority partner country of German development cooperation for more than 50 years, and for almost all of this period GIZ has been active here on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ). In India GIZ is also active on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMU). In 2008, India and Germany celebrated 50 years of successful development cooperation.

Different levels of development can be seen side by side in the society and economy of India. The rapid growth of the economy since the early 1990s and the Government of India's increased commitment to accelerating social development present a unique opportunity for establishing a sustainable economy based on inclusive growth.

India is the world's largest democracy and its fourth largest economy in terms of purchasing power parity, but it still faces many challenges. The country is grappling with economic, structural, regional, gender, caste and class-based inequalities. These manifest themselves in interstate and intrastate disparities, and in a rural-urban divide. Furthermore, natural resources, the environment and existing infrastructure are being put under considerable strain to accommodate growth.

To support India in achieving its development goals and reducing the challenges it faces, the governments of India and Germany agreed that their development cooperation will concentrate on the following priority areas:

• Sustainable Economic Development
• Energy
• Environmental Policy, Conservation and Sustainable Use of Natural Resources

Germany is also involved in bilateral development cooperation through initiatives such as HIV/AIDS and Blood Safety.

The GIZ Office in India is located in New Delhi, in premises shared with KfW Entwicklungsbank and Deutsche Investitions- und Entwicklungsgesellschaft GmbH (DEG).

GIZ International Services (IS) is a separate business area within GIZ, which offers effective services for sustainable development, drawing on our long experience and great competence in the international market. Major clients include multilateral donors, private sector actors and increasingly the governments of partner countries. In India, for example, the clients of GIZ IS include the Government of Gujarat.

GTZ in India

• Information package
  Partnership for Development.
  Package of various project information sheets and country portfolio. 2009
  GTZ-India-Information-package-2009.zip, 6.48 MB (English)

Further information

• GIZ International Services
  International Services
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