Iris Becker
Founder & Director | Head of Contact Office for German Universities | Coordinator Skill Mobility Initiatives
Twenty-six years ago, the instinct was simple: India mattered to me. At the time, that conviction was not always obvious to others. Working with India often meant working against assumptions and prejudices — explaining its potential, challenging outdated perceptions, and believing in what could be long before it became widely accepted.
Today, India is perceived very differently: self-confident, ambitious and increasingly recognized as a serious player on the world stage. It is rewarding to live and work in India and be part of the transformation. But the mission has not become less relevant. If anything, it has become more important.
The opportunity now is not simply to make the case for India, but to build deeper, more equal and more consequential relationships with it.
That founding instinct still holds: engage seriously, bridge worlds, challenge assumptions, and build on our extensive, vetted network for the long term.
