Ms. Anandi Iyer, Head of Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft India Office and Founder of TheDialog, has been honoured with the Global Icon Award for Innovation at the News9 Global Summit 2025 – Germany Edition, held at the MHP Arena in Stuttgart. The recognition places her among an elite group of global leaders shaping transformative collaborations between nations through research, innovation, and policy dialogue.
Recognising Visionary Leadership
At the awards ceremony that marked the grand finale of the summit, Ms. Iyer was celebrated for her pioneering work in advancing Indo-German cooperation across clean technologies, smart manufacturing, and sustainable innovation ecosystems.
The Global Icon Awards also recognised Dr Vivek Lall (Defence), Captain Zoya Agarwal (Women in Aviation), Andreas Lapp (Industry), and Chef Kunal Kapur (Culinary Arts), underscoring the summit’s commitment to spotlighting excellence across sectors.
A Bridge Between Research, Policy, and Industry
With over two decades of experience at the crossroads of research, industry, and policy, Ms. Iyer has been instrumental in forging multi-million-euro partnerships between India and Germany.
Under her leadership, Fraunhofer’s India office has become a key driver of collaborative R&D, spanning cleantech, healthcare, digital manufacturing, and smart city innovation. Her work continues to build strong bridges between academia, business, and government stakeholders — creating models of cooperation that are now being studied internationally.
In recognition of her outstanding contribution to the Indo-German innovation and knowledge space, Ms. Iyer was conferred Germany’s highest civilian honour — the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany (Bundesverdienstkreuz). The award acknowledged her pivotal role in deepening bilateral cooperation in science, technology, and education, and her efforts in strengthening institutional linkages between the two countries.
Ms. Iyer has consistently championed cultural diplomacy, entrepreneurship, and people-centric innovation. Her work has opened new avenues for technology transfer, policy exchange, and cross-border collaboration, making her a key voice in India’s growing engagement with Germany’s research and industrial ecosystem.
Championing Global Education and Skills
As part of the summit, Ms. Iyer joined the panel discussion on “Global Education Reset: Now Study in Germany”, held on October 9, 2025, alongside experts from the University of Stuttgart, Barmer Health Insurance, Fintiba GmbH, RV Institutions, and the Government of Bavaria.
In her remarks, Ms. Iyer highlighted how Germany’s strong education ecosystem—particularly its universities of applied sciences—integrates classroom learning with industry training, a model that India could emulate to close the gap between education and employability.
“Beyond universities and quality education, German institutions offer a unique ecosystem that takes students from education to the market. Universities of applied sciences provide training in industry along with classroom education. When it comes to India, there is a broken ecosystem that separates students from industry. That’s the main reason most of the Indian institutions lack, not quality education,” said Ms. Iyer.
She further emphasised that language is not a challenge for Indian students adapting to Germany’s academic environment. “German language is not a barrier, particularly for Indian students, because they speak around five languages in India. And they are very different from each other,” Ms. Iyer observed, adding that India’s linguistic diversity actually enhances adaptability in multicultural learning settings.
Germany: A Growing Hub for Indian Students
The session came against the backdrop of Germany’s rising appeal as an international education destination. According to the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD), over 49,000 Indian students enrolled in German universities for the winter semester 2023–24 — a 15.1 percent increase over the previous year. Experts at the summit agreed that Germany’s high-quality, low-cost education and clear post-study pathways make it an increasingly attractive choice for Indian students.
A Summit Framing the Future of the India–Germany Partnership
Presented by the Government of Maharashtra and MIDC, and hosted by TV9 Network in partnership with VfB Stuttgart, the News9 Global Summit 2025 brought together global leaders, policymakers, and industry pioneers under the theme “Democracy | Demography | Development: The India–Germany Connect.”
The event coincided with the 25th anniversary of the Indo-German Strategic Partnership and featured participation from figures including H.E. Ajit Gupte, India’s Ambassador to Germany; Dr Johann Wadephul, Germany’s Federal Minister for Foreign Affairs; Nina Warken, Federal Minister of Health; Winfried Kretschmann, Minister-President of Baden-Württemberg; and Anurag Singh Thakur, Member of Parliament from India.
From Berlin to Stuttgart: A Pan-German Dialogue
The Germany edition of the summit spanned multiple cities—beginning in Berlin on October 6, where News9 partnered with the German Indian Innovation Corridor (GIIC) to host curtain-raiser sessions at the AXICA Convention Centre. The roadshow travelled through Munich and Karlsruhe before culminating in Stuttgart, symbolising the deep and evolving ties between Europe’s innovation hubs and India’s growth narrative.
A Platform for Collaboration and Trust
Speaking about the summit’s significance, Barun Das, Managing Director & CEO of TV9 Network, said the event arrives at a moment when the India-Germany partnership is “not just marking 25 years, but redefining the next 25.” He emphasised that Stuttgart—“a crucible of engineering, innovation, and diplomacy”—was the ideal setting to host a dialogue shaping the future of cooperation between the two democracies.
Rouven Kasper, Board Member of VfB Stuttgart, added that the collaboration demonstrates how “sports and dialogue share the same spirit—connecting people, projects, and alliances.”
Charting a Shared Future
As a thought leader, innovator, and communicator, Ms. Iyer continues to be at the forefront of the Indo-German innovation story. Her recognition at the News9 Global Summit underscores the growing visibility of Indian leadership in shaping the global technology and education agenda — a vision firmly anchored in collaboration, sustainability, and shared progress.
