A Taste of Munich in Hyderabad: Authentic Oktoberfest Beer Flown In for German Unity Day Reception

It belonged to Munich, to autumn, to a festival that has remained a Bavarian tradition for more than two centuries. However, for one evening, a small part of Oktoberfest travelled thousands of kilometres away, to Hyderabad. Authentic festival beer was specially flown in from Germany and served on tap for what German Consul General Michael Hasper said was the first time in India which became an unusual feature of Friday's German Unity Day reception.

Its arrival was a fitting accompaniment to a celebration of German unity, while strengthening another relationship that has grown over 75 years, the friendship between India and Germany, with Hyderabad emerging as an important meeting point.

"German unity reminds us that even walls that seem permanent can come down and that ordinary people can change history. That is what we celebrate tonight," said Michael Hasper, consul-general of Germany in Chennai.

The occasion commemorated Germany's reunification on October 3, 1990, although Hasper spoke equally of the changes in the country's relationship with India over three decades. He recalled German Chancellor Friedrich Merz's visit to India in January and the 25 years of strategic partnership between the two countries. Bilateral trade in goods and services now stood at around $50 billion annually, according to Hasper, who expected the proposed European Union–India free trade agreement to reduce tariffs and increase trade.

Hyderabad has a considerable German business presence. Hasper cited Deutsche Borse and automotive technology company ZF, which operate global capability centres (GCCs), where international firms develop technology and services for their operations worldwide. "Today, our cooperation is driving forward in strategic sectors, from renewable energy, green hydrogen and semiconductors to artificial intelligence, critical minerals and defence technologies," said Madhav R. Sulphule, Regional Passport Officer and head of the ministry of external affairs' branch secretariat here.

Sulphule also referred to German companies such as Bosch and ZF, whose operations contribute to advanced research and skilled employment. The ministry's Hyderabad office, he explained, worked closely with diplomatic missions and the Telangana government to facilitate official delegations, business contacts and cooperation between the Centre and the state. One such agreement followed the visit of the German state of Thuringia's minister-president Mario Voigt to Hyderabad in June, accompanied by a business delegation.

Telangana and Thuringia signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) covering skill development, startups, technology and life sciences, while Hasper also identified research and skilled migration as areas of cooperation. The question now, as minister Vakiti Srihari explained during the reception, was how these commitments would translate into work on the ground. Srihari also looked towards the Invest Telangana Global Summit, scheduled for December 7 to 9 at Bharat Future City, as an opportunity to connect German entrepreneurs with investment prospects in the state.