Eight Experts.
Two Countries.
One Team.

Markus is the founder of DE.INDI.GO and has been active in consulting German and Indian business for many years. As a German Attorney at Law, he advises German Mittelstand companies on a wide range of legal and commercial matters in the Indo-German context. He takes a pragmatic and realistic approach and understands the challenges companies face when entering a market shaped by a different business culture and regulatory environment. Markus is well connected professionally and heads the German-Indian-Round Table in Sachsen on a voluntary basis.

Professional background

• 2003 Work for the legal department of the Indo-German Chamber of Commerce in Mumbai
• 2003–2004 Attorney at Brandi Dröge Piltz & Gronemeyer Rechtsanwälte
• 2004–2018 Partner at Dorschner & Hoffmann Rechtsanwälte
• 2019-2025 Partner at KNPP Rechts- und Patentanwälte
• since 2025 Partner at Wolffersdorff Rechtsanwälte

India-specific experience / expertise / roles

• Strategic and legal advice to German companies on India market entry
• Formation and dissolution of Indian subsidiaries and joint ventures
• Advice on acquiring shareholdings in Indian or German companies
• Design and implementation of a system of in-company training and continuing education based on the principles of the German Duale Berufsausbildung for Indian companies
• Establishing R&D cooperations between German research institutions and Indian companies
• Representing German companies before Indian authorities
• Litigation and alternative dispute resolution in India and Germany
• Design and delivery of delegation trips from India to Germany and match-making between German and Indian companies
• Strategic and legal advice to Indian companies on Germany market entry
• Partner search for Indian companies in Germany, presentation of Indian companies and negotiation with German partners
• Formation of subsidiaries of Indian companies in Germany
• Interim management and corporate administration in Germany
• Design and delivery of conferences in the Indo-German context
• Training of German and Indian executives
• Head of the German-Indian-Round Table Sachsen
• Member of the Deutsch-Indische Juristenvereinigung e.V.
• Author and editor of the reference work “Business Guide Indien” published by Bundesanzeiger Verlag

Languages

• German — native speaker
• English — business fluent
• Russian — basic knowledge

Thomas has been permanently based in India for more than ten years, combines German corporate culture with first-hand knowledge of the Indian market and brings operational market proximity to market assessment, partner identification and qualification as well as market entry advice directly on the ground. He is familiar with both sides — what German companies expect of India, and what India actually offers. His career spans more than 25 years of international leadership experience in luxury goods and FMCG as well as in manufacturing industry — with continuous responsibility for sales, distribution and production, and for the selection, development and management of distribution and partner networks in complex international markets.

Professional background

• 1997–2003 · Audi AG, Regional Office Middle East, Dubai — Regional Sales Manager & Deputy Managing Director: Member of the regional management team with responsibility for sales governance, importer performance management and allocation strategy across several GCC and Middle Eastern markets. Development and management of pricing architecture and of distributor and dealer networks under complex political and economic conditions.
• 2003–2010 · Middle East Aston Martin LLC & Maritime Solutions Middle East LLC, Dubai — CEO: Complete strategic realignment and operational build-up of an exclusive Aston Martin distribution business in the Middle East — from market entry strategy through the selection and appointment of exclusive dealers across the GCC region to full sales, marketing and after-sales operations. Self-initiated acquisition of the exclusive distribution rights for Fairline Yachts in the Middle East; development and implementation of a complete market entry strategy; build-up of a new dealer and distribution network for the region; development of the Fairline business from market launch to full operation.
• 2010–2011 · Bader Al Hamad Group, Saudi Arabia — Managing Director: Build-up of a new premium fashion division; securing exclusive franchise and distribution rights for European premium fashion brands; development and implementation of a market entry strategy with flagship stores in Riyadh and Jeddah.
• 2011–2017 · Swiss Perfume Group of Companies, Dubai — CEO: Leadership and transformation of an FMCG perfume group; full P&L responsibility across production, filling and international sales; expansion of the international market presence from 20 to 55 countries by building a global distributor network and introducing a group-wide ERP integration.
• 2017–2024 · Perfume, deodorant and aerosol production, Middle East — CEO (India-based, hybrid): Complete greenfield build-up of a production facility in the Middle East — from site selection through construction and commissioning to full operation. Led in a hybrid CEO model — strategic steering and governance from India, with regular operational leadership phases on site. Build-up of the entire operating model including ERP architecture, SOPs, governance structures and management organisation; geared from the outset towards building up and handing over to local management.
• Since 2024 · Strategic advice at shareholder and board level in two ongoing mandates: market entry advice and international expansion strategy for a German company, and governance and organisational advice for an owner-managed group of companies.

India-specific experience / expertise / roles

• Market potential analysis and feasibility assessment for the Indian market — market sizing, competitive landscape, pricing environment, reality check
• Assessment and recommendation of market entry models — wholly owned entity, joint venture, distributor/agent model
• Structured identification, qualification and assessment of Indian partners, JV candidates and distributors — as a permanently resident advisor on the ground, with continuous market proximity and end-to-end project support
• Design of distributor and partner frameworks: exclusivity logic, territory structuring, performance criteria and commercial risk allocation
• Regulatory reality check and identification of market entry barriers — before strategic decisions are taken
• Established personal networks in Indian entrepreneurial and industrial circles — built up over more than ten years of presence in India

Languages

• German
• English

Stefan has been working intensively on India for more than fifteen years. He led an Indo-German MBA programme at the university of applied sciences in Hof and at a partner university in India. During that time he built up a network of companies and educational institutions across India. Stefan advises companies on their market entry in India and on a range of marketing and sales topics. He also organises the German-Indian-Round-Table in Oberfranken on a voluntary basis. He is also a keynote speaker on topics including “The Future of Sales,” “Modern International Sales Structures,” and “The Use of AI in Sales.”

Professional background

• Since 2014 Science Venture GmbH, Bayreuth, Managing Partner — strategy and management consulting in marketing & sales, digital transformation in sales and sales excellence
• Since 2009 Hochschule Hof, Professor of Marketing & Sales — courses on strategic & international marketing, industrial goods marketing & technical sales and global sales & key account management; head of the ERUX research group at the Institute for Information Systems
• 2006–2008 Lehnkering GmbH, Duisburg, Marketing & Sales — establishing and managing company-wide key account management with major global clients in the chemical and steel industries
• 2002–2005 Freie Universität Berlin, research associate — doctorate on key account management and involvement in projects on corporate strategy, competitive strategy and the development of innovative business models
• 2000–2001 ZLU GmbH, Berlin, management consultant — projects to optimise Europe-wide logistics processes for companies in the chemical industry

India-specific experience / expertise / roles

• Since 2014 advising companies in the Indo-German environment on topics such as market entry, developing sales strategies, building national sales structures, as well as staff training
• 2010–2016 development, establishment and management of the Indo-German master's programme “German Indian Management Studies” (GIMS) at the Hof and Coimbatore (India) locations
• Head of the German-Indian Round Table (GIRT) Oberfranken
• Member of the German-Indian Round Table (GIRT) Central Germany
• Member of the “Global Sales Science Institute”
• Member of the “Deutsche Gesellschaft für Auswärtige Politik”

Languages

• German — native speaker
• English — business fluent
• Spanish — advanced

Eike comes from industry and is an India enthusiast. He has worked worldwide as an operations manager for mechanical engineering groups and for Mittelstand companies, and he has many years of experience in building and leading industrial companies in India. As a passionate engineer, he has technical expertise in strategic market segmentation, product management and development, supply chain, operations, quality management and after-sales. Eike thinks systemically and for the long term, and he knows the cultural challenges of India business from his own practice.

Professional background

• 2021 – present Doelschner Consulting
• 2014–2021 HEROSE GmbH and the HEROSE Group, Technical Managing Director — hidden champion, global market leader for cryogenic valves with production in Germany, the United Kingdom, India, China and Australia
• 2010–2014 Wilo SE, Senior Vice President Division Submersible & Highflow Pumps — P&L and overall technical responsibility for the Hof (D), Pune (IND) and Kolhapur (IND) sites, build-up of a global production network
• 2008–2010 Mahr Messtechnik GmbH, Head of Production, member of the management team
• 1990–2008 KSB SE, Vice President Production Europe (2003–2005) — strategic and operational responsibility for production plants in Germany, France, Spain and China; building and operating a production network between Europe, China, India and Brazil; previously plant manager, IT project manager, QM/TQM manager, head of technology development

India-specific experience / expertise / roles

• 2008–2014 Managing Director of HEROSE GmbH
• Executive at WILO SE (group)
• M&A and post-merger integration of an Indo-German joint venture and of a wholly owned subsidiary, member of the Board of Directors with full P&L and technical responsibility, business field definition and market penetration in India, establishment of an Indian R&D centre, establishment of Indian production to European standards, build-up of a global production network, preparation of market studies for OEM and consumer products

Languages

• German — native speaker
• English — business fluent

Armin comes from industry and works and lives mainly in southern India. He has more than twenty years of experience in market entry, production, sales, interim management, technology transfer and joint ventures, and he has worked and continues to work operationally in India for European clients from a range of business sectors. A passionate engineer, he has excellent technical expertise in textile machinery, safety technology, food production and metalworking and processing. Armin is very well connected in India; he knows the country, the culture and the challenges.

Professional Background

• Trained as a skilled worker for machines and tools
• Master's in Textile Engineering, University of Reutlingen
• Production Assistant, Escada AG Munich
• Project Manager at Ceramtec AG (formerly Feldmühle) 1988–1996
• Sales Director South-East Asia at Zentes Unitex GmbH 1996–2000
• Executive at H+P GmbH and BHT-AG 1998–2006
• General Manager of Erbatech Maschinery India Pvt. Ltd. 2006–2012
• Founder of Indo-German-Consults 2012
• Work with various India-focused consultancies and project management assignments 2012–2024, including for: Illig Maschinenbau GmbH & Co. KG, Alfred Kärcher Vertriebs GmbH, Schake India Metal Works Pvt. Ltd., Küsters Calico Maschinery Pvt. Ltd., Baioni Crushing Plants SpA

India-specific experience / expertise / roles

• Market research and concepts for market entry in India
• Setting up and managing production in India
• Setting up and managing sales operations in India
• Interim management of subsidiaries of European companies
• Project management and coordination
• Partner search and evaluation
• Ad hoc measures
• Owner of Indo-German-Consultants

Languages

• German
• English
• French (basic)
• Italian (basic)

As an Indian lawyer, Jyotsna has many years of experience in Indo-German business. She heads the commercial law practice at the renowned law firm Maheshwari & Co. in Delhi. Jyotsna has extensive practical experience in market entry for foreign companies, in mergers, acquisitions, restructurings, venture and private equity financing and joint ventures between Indian and foreign partners. Jyotsna has spoken at various national and international conferences to promote Indo-German business cooperation and has written specialist legal articles on a range of business topics.

Professional Background

• 2007–2010 Senior Associate at the law firm Rajeev Goel & Associates, Advocates & Legal Consultants — focus on mergers and acquisitions, corporate compliances
• Since 2010 Head of Corporate Practice at the law firm Maheshwari & Co. Advocates & Legal Consultants — responsible for commercial law, legislation and regulation, technology cooperations, mergers & acquisitions

Experience / expertise

• Legal and business advisory
• Setting up subsidiaries and production sites in India
• Preparation of product-specific market entry studies
• Identification and selection of potential partners in India
• Organisation of delegation trips and match-making
• Search for Indian specialists
• Regulations, guidelines and legislation in India

Languages

• English
• Hindi
• Bengali

Ketan is an accomplished Indian lawyer who provides comprehensive transaction advice in private equity, mergers and acquisitions and foreign investment, ensuring that every stage from structuring to execution is aligned with the strategic objectives.

Ketan supports Indian and foreign companies with BIS certification. He has extensive experience in ensuring that all client products meet BIS certification requirements, protecting companies from regulatory risk and strengthening confidence in the market. Ketan specialises in corporate and commercial law and in BIS certification at the renowned law firm Maheshwari & Co. in Delhi.

As an Advocate and Solicitor, Lekhesh has many years of expertise in advising Indian, German and US companies, primarily in e-commerce, digital technologies, fintech and media. As founder of the law firm Lekhs Legal, he has practised in Mumbai since 2001 and is well connected in the local business community. For many years Lekhesh worked as an external partner for the Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI) and Yahoo India and is thoroughly familiar with e-commerce regulation and Indian internet law. His excellent professional expertise is rounded off by long-standing personal and professional ties to Germany.

Professional Background

• Registered Advocate with the Bar Council of Maharashtra and Goa since 1992
• Member of the Bar Association of India
• 2001 founded the law firm Lekhs Legal in Mumbai
• External partner of the Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI) and Yahoo India

Experience / expertise

• Foreign Direct Investments and Cross Border Transactions
• Capital Investments and Joint Ventures
• Intellectual Property and Licencing
• Digital Technology, Internet, Media and Entertainment
• E-Commerce and Digital Advertising Networks
• NFT platforms and Blockchain Business Models
• Fintech, Digital Lending and Payment Systems
• Sports Law, Cricket League
• Technology cooperations