Germany's two-way annual trade with India is around DM 8 billion, with Germany posting a trade surplus. However, there is "infinitely much greater potential," as Mr Topden put it, to further develop trade and investments. Projections made by a number of independent German organizations suggest that India's exports are going to surge in the coming years as German companies tap India's software potential and do offshore sourcing in India.

The city of Frankfurt itself is very keen to intensify its trade and economic relations with India. Several business delegations have come to India to court Indian companies to set up operations in and around Frankfurt. Indeed, some German cities that are part of Topden's jurisdiction are vying with each other to get Indian companies to set up base within their city limits.

"The interest is all the more pronounced in the area of information technology where Indians have established a name for themselves ... I personally go around and meet with German companies to identify their areas of interest and see how we can help them ... " Mr Topden, who took office as India's consul general six months ago, told India Abroad News Service.

There are at least a dozen leading Indian IT companies, including Tata and Infosys, which have set up offices in Frankfurt to capitalize on the rising interest in the European Union.

The envoy said that the promotion of Indian exports to Germany and German investments to India constituted a major part of the consulate's work. "We are responsible for a number of federal German states which are showing considerable interest in doing business with India," Mr Topden said.Although Berlin has been anointed the capital of reunified Germany a few years back, it lacks the international business flair that Frankfurt boasts of.