The Consul General - Message of greeting

Namaskar.

Dear Visitors,

Welcome to the website of the German Consulate General in Kolkata.

My arrival in India in May 2011 coincided with the celebration of the 150th birth anniversary of Rabindranath Tagore, whose first visit to Germany took place 90 years ago. As I studied South-Asian history at University, I have a strong interest in India, and I am very happy to have the opportunity to work in a particularly interesting region of the country for the next years.

In Kolkata, the cultural metropolis of India, one feels often reminded of Gopal Krishna Gokhale’s saying: “What Bengal thinks today, India thinks tomorrow.” Among the Bengali intellectuals who are known outside India, there are not only poets and artists, but also economists, as for instance the Nobel laureate Amartya Kumar Sen.

Besides the Indian Federal State of West Bengal, the regional competence of the Consulate General in Kolkata encompasses the densely populated Bihar, once the centre of Buddhism, the state of Jharkhand rich in mineral resources, and Orissa, a centre of steel-production, famous for its ancient temples, as well as the Northeast-Indian Federal States of Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland und Tripura, which are characterised by great cultural and ethnic diversity.

The spectrum of our work covers trade promotion, development projects, cultural activities including sports events, assisting Germans living in Eastern India and issuing visas to Indian citizens visiting Germany as well as organising visits of official German delegations. With great interest, we will observe the political changes which started when the new Government assumed office in West Bengal in May 2011. Currently we are focussing on the cultural and economic megaproject “Germany and India 2011-2012: Infinite Opportunities.” Besides, we support small projects in the fields of energy efficiency, renewable energy, protection and sustainable use of natural resources, vocational training, education and health improvement.

I hope that you will find useful information on the website of the German Consulate General in Kolkata, and I am looking forward to receiving your suggestions.

Best regards,

Yours,

Rainer Schmiedchen