Outbound & inbound: Tie-ups with African & Arab countries & oil & gas deal with Europe, UPI goes to Qatar & tie-up with China for EV components manufacturing & Germany-based cleantech

The Tech Panda takes a look at how Indian companies are partnering with foreign businesses to expand to

Recently, the 12th India-Japan Business Leaders Forum, which saw the presence of Prime Ministers Narendra Modi and Shigeru Ishiba, chaired by Baba Kalyani, Chairman and Managing Director of Bharat Forge Ltd, emphasized enhanced bilateral cooperation in green energy, electric mobility, space technology, AI, semiconductors, digital technology, healthcare, and electronics.

OUTBOUND

Partnerships with African & Arab Countries

Groupe MRP has been initiating as an active corporate company and has plans to be a catalyst for transformative collaborations between India, Africa, and Arab Countries. The new agency will promote cooperation between 78 countries, 54 of which are African and 24 of which are Arab, through six main business units called DiVisions: healthcare, skill development, agriculture, tourism, hospitality and insurance.

Sumit Govind Sharma remarked, “This initiative is about more than just expanding the business; it’s about building lasting bridges between countries that will lead to shared prosperity. We’re making a platform that can really change how India works with Africa and the Arab countries by bringing together experts from different fields around a single vision.”

UPI Goes to Qatar

In September NPCI International Payments Limited (NIPL) in partnership with Qatar National Bank, enabled the acceptance of QR code-based Unified Payments Interface (UPI) across Qatar via point-of-sale (POS) terminals for merchants acquired by QNB and powered by NETSTARS’ payment solution. This move will allow Indian travelers to carry out UPI payments seamlessly at major tourist attractions and Qatar Duty Free outlets, which is the first merchant to go live on UPI.

Yousef Mahmoud Al-Neama, Group Chief Business Officer, QNB, said, “We are excited to introduce UPI in Qatar and proud to be at the forefront of innovating the payment landscape. This milestone not only enhances the convenience for Indian travelers but also brings significant benefits to the Qatari market by promoting cashless transactions, boosting retail and tourist sectors, and strengthening interoperability in the payments ecosystem. Importantly, it will also enable local merchants to thrive by attracting more customers and providing them with seamless digital payment options.”

Exclusive Deal with Europe’s Offshore Oil & Gas Vessel Leader

Also in September, Swan Defence and Heavy Industries Limited (SDHI), Indian shipbuilding and heavy fabrication company, signed an exclusive Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with European offshore oil & gas vessel leader Royal IHC. The partners will combine their expertise, infrastructure, and geographical advantages to design, build, and retrofit offshore oil and gas and other types of vessels. The MoU was signed along with Alar Infrastructure, the Indian representative of Royal IHC. 

Derk te Bokkel, CEO, Royal IHC said, “This agreement marks a significant step in strengthening our presence in Asia by partnering with India’s largest shipyard. Together with SDHI’s infrastructure and capabilities, we can deliver reliable and advanced offshore solutions to meet the evolving needs of the global energy market.”

INBOUND

Tie-up with China for Local Manufacturing of EV Components in India

Sterling Tools Limited (BSE: 530759, NSE: STERTOOLS), automotive component manufacturers in India and Motor Control Units has, through its Subsidiary, Sterling Gtake E-Mobility Limited (SGEM), forays into EV On-board Chargers and DC/DC converters for electric vehicles. SGEM has signed technology license and supply agreements with Landworld Technology Co. Ltd., China to locally manufacture on-board chargers, DC/DC convertors and Multi-Function Units (incorporating On-Board Chargers, DC/DC converters as well as Power Distribution Units (PDUs). These products are crucial for the electrification of Passenger and Commercial Vehicles.

The company will manufacture these units at its EV campus in Faridabad. The partnership is expected to generate around INR450 crores in business by FY’30 in a market segment that is projected to reach INR3,000 crore.

Lin Chen, Vice General Manager, of Landworld Technology Co., Ltd., China said, “India’s EV market offer’s immense potential for growth and innovation. Through our partnership with Sterling Gtake, we are bringing our proven expertise in On-Board Chargers and DC/DC converters to Indian customers across several EV vehicle categories. Together, we aim to create high-quality solutions that cater to India’s EV market while contributing to the country’s self-reliance and sustainability goals.”

Tie-up with Germany-based Cleantech

GPS Renewables, a full-stack biofuels firm offering technology and project solutions for climate-positive biofuel projects, and its subsidiary Proweps, have entered into an exclusive partnership with Germany-based Biogastechnik Süd GmbH (BGTS) to introduce Advanced Paddle Agitators (mixers) under their brand Varibull to India. This partnership aims to improve operational efficiency of biogas plants and reduce costs for Indian CBG (Compressed Biogas) Developers.

Gregor Maier, CEO of Biogastechnik Süd, said, “At Biogastechnik Süd, our mission has always been to deliver reliable, efficient and durable technologies that add long-term value to biogas operators worldwide. India is one of the most important growth markets for bioenergy, and we are proud to partner with GPS Renewables, whose strong execution capabilities and deep sector understanding make them the ideal partner for localizing our solutions. The integration of our Varibull Paddle Agitator will help Indian plants maximize performance, reduce downtime, and ensure sustainable operations over decades.”