At the second edition of the News9 Global Summit, Andreas Lapp, former chairman of the board of LAPP Group, praised India’s rapid rise as a global economic and industrial power, recalling his company’s 45-year journey in the country.
“I worked for India 45 years as a businessman,” Lapp said, highlighting how India’s growth story had validated the group’s early decision to invest in the market. “When my brother and I decided to go to India, it was very exotic. But now, it has proven to be the right thing to do,” he added.
‘Mother set quality benchmark’
Reflecting on the company’s origins, Lapp shared an anecdote about his mother, who founded the firm in the 1950s — a rare feat for a woman in the industrial world at that time. “The cable we ordered was technically fine, but it didn’t look good from the outside. My mother sent it back, which was unthinkable then. That decision set our global quality standards,” he said.
He also spoke about India’s cultural depth and economic potential. “India has 6,000 years of culture, and we respect that. But in Stuttgart, where I come from, we have 30,000 years of culture — the first musical instrument was found there,” he said, drawing a light-hearted parallel between civilizations.
India’s unstoppable economic rise
Lapp lauded India’s scientific and humanitarian contributions during the pandemic, noting that “India produced vaccines for the whole world and helped millions survive,” even as European media gave it little recognition. Looking ahead, he predicted that India’s economy would soon surpass Germany’s. “By the end of this year, India may be number four, and in two to three years, number three,” he said, adding that the country’s momentum was unstoppable.