Munich – Over the past year, the Festival of Togetherness (FOT) initiative has been steadily working to strengthen collaboration among Indian community associations across Bavaria. What began as a dialogue and mutual understanding is now evolving into a structured effort to explore the creation of a Dachverband (umbrella federation) for the Indian community in the region.
18 April 2026:Indischer Dachverband Deutschland (IDD) Begins Building a National Framework for the Indian Community
The journey toward a more connected and coordinated Indian community structure in Germany has entered a new phase with the formal launch of the Indischer Dachverband Deutschland (IDD) — a developing umbrella platform aimed at strengthening cooperation among Indian Vereine and community organizations across the country.
One of the defining aspects of the initiative, is that even the name “Indischer Dachverband Deutschland (IDD)” itself was selected through a democratic voting process involving participating Vereine and community representatives — reflecting the principle of “for the Vereine, by the Vereine.”
Following the recent public announcement of the name, the focus is now shifting toward what describe as the “most important phase”: building a legal, democratic, and transparent foundation for long-term community representation and collaboration.
A Growing Movement Across Germany
What began as discussions among Vereine and community leaders in Bavaria is now steadily expanding into a broader national conversation. the response from the community has been highly encouraging, with many Vereine already expressing interest in participating in the next stages of development.
At the same time, similar initiatives and discussions are emerging in several German states, including Baden-Württemberg, Berlin, Hamburg, Hessen, and Nordrhein-Westfalen. these parallel developments are not being viewed as competition, but rather as signs of growing momentum toward a shared vision.
The stated goal is to create a platform that is:
- democratic,
- representative,
- transparent,
- and built “for the Vereine, by the Vereine.”
A National Vision Rooted in Local Communities
While the current organizational groundwork is centered in Bavaria, the ambition behind IDD is national in scope.
The initiative aims to gradually connect local and regional Indian associations under a broader framework that can improve coordination, knowledge sharing, cultural collaboration, and long-term representation of the Indian diaspora in Germany.
the structure is intended to evolve step by step and state by state, ensuring that regional voices remain part of the decision-making process.
Registration Phase Underway
As part of this next phase, the Indischer Dachverband Deutschland e.V. (in Gründung) has already been established and is currently undergoing formal registration procedures.
To support this transition period, a temporary Transition Board has been formed. this body is intended to guide the initial setup phase until a fully democratic governance structure is established.
Formation of an Executive Board
A key element of the proposed structure is the creation of an Executive Board (EB), which is expected to serve as the central decision-making body of the Dachverband during its formative stage.
Each participating Verein is being invited to nominate two representatives to join the Executive Board, ensuring that organizations have direct participation in shaping the future structure and governance model.
this approach is intended to create balanced representation and collective ownership across participating Vereine.
Democratic Elections Planned
Once the Executive Board is constituted, the next milestone will be the organization’s first democratic elections.
These elections are expected to select a 7-member Core Board, which would then assume responsibility for the long-term leadership and direction of the Dachverband.
the emphasis on elections and structured governance is intended to ensure transparency, accountability, and broad-based participation from the community.
Invitation to Vereine Across Germany
Community organizations and Vereine interested in participating in the initiative are being invited to nominate representatives and become part of the Executive Board formation process.
Nominations can currently be submitted via:
info@idd-ev.de
The official launch video for the initiative has also been released online via the organization’s YouTube platform:
01 April 2026-FOT Dachverband Satzung Workshop Successfully Conducted – Democracy in Action: Every Verein Contributes to the Foundation.
The FOT Dachverband Satzung Co-Creation Workshop was successfully conducted on 27 March 2026 at the Consulate General of India Munich, bringing together committed Verein leaders and community representatives from across Bavaria.
The workshop marked an important milestone in the journey from dialogue to structure, as participants actively contributed to shaping the foundational principles of a unified Dachverband. The discussions reflected a strong collective intent to build a transparent, democratic, and inclusive platform that represents the broader interests of the Indian community.
A key highlight of the session was the collaborative approach, where experienced members involved in drafting and managing Verein Satzungen shared practical insights, ensuring that the process remains grounded, realistic, and community-driven.
What Comes Next
Building on the momentum of the workshop, the initiative now moves into the next phase of structured community input.
A questionnaire has been shared with all participating Vereine to gather feedback on key governance topics, including:
Board structure and tenure
Voting rights and representation
Membership model
Core focus areas of the Dachverband
Name selection for both Bayern and National-level Dachverband
This step ensures that the foundation of the Dachverband is shaped through a democratic and participatory process, giving every Verein the opportunity to contribute.
🔗 Questionnaire Link:https://form.typeform.com/to/tkZqzChk
🗓️ Deadline for submissions: 15 April 2026
A Collective Step Forward
The strong participation and constructive discussions during the workshop underline the community’s readiness to move forward together. With the next phase now underway, the FOT Dachverband initiative continues its commitment to transparency, collaboration, and long-term impact.
January 2025 – FOT 2025: The Beginning: Getting to Know Each Other
The journey began with the first Festival of Togetherness (FOT) held in January 2025. The event served as an initial platform for Indian community associations to meet, interact, and better understand each other.
The main objective of this first gathering was simple yet important: to start a conversation and build trust among different Vereine. Leaders from various associations came together to exchange ideas, present their initiatives, and explore possibilities for collaboration.
The key message from this first milestone was clear: the community had started the process of building connections by opening channels of dialogue and mutual understanding.
1 February 2026 – FOT 2026: Explaining the Need for a Dachverband and asking for Go ahead (Pulse Check)
Building on this momentum, the second Festival of Togetherness (FOT 2026) took place on 1 February 2026. For this event, more than 75 organizations across Bavaria were invited, and 45 associations from Bavaria participated, along with two guest Vereine from Baden-Württemberg.
A central highlight of the festival was a joint session focused on explaining the need for a Dachverband (umbrella federation) and understanding the community’s perspective on the idea of coming together under one coordinated platform.
During this session, Verein leaders shared their views, expectations, and priorities regarding how a more connected structure could benefit the Indian community in Bavaria.
To support this process, the working team conducted a Pulse Check among participating Vereine to gather feedback and verify the community’s readiness to move forward.
22 February 2026 – Pulse Check Results and getting Official Go-Ahead from the Community
Following the Pulse Check, the working team shared a communication with participating Vereine on 22 February 2026, thanking everyone for their active participation and valuable input.
The results of the Pulse Check were very positive, with a clear majority of participating associations expressing strong support for moving forward with the initiative. The feedback effectively provided the community’s official go-ahead for the working team to proceed with the next steps toward exploring the creation of a Dachverband for the Indian community in Bavaria.
These results confirmed that many associations see significant value in working more closely together under a coordinated platform, strengthening collaboration, representation, and collective engagement within the community.
The communication emphasized the next important step: creating the Governance and Satzung for the proposed Dachverband together.
The working team stressed that a Verband is only as strong as the collective will of its members. Therefore, the intention is not simply to draft a set of rules, but to prepare the Satzung “for the Verein, by the Verein.”
To ensure that the statutes truly reflect the shared values of the community and the philosophy of “Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam – The World is One Family,” community representatives were invited to actively contribute their perspectives. A first draft of the Goverence and Satzung has already been prepared, which will serve as the basis for further discussion and improvement.
28 February 2026 – Presenting the Initiative to Political Leadership
On 28 February 2026, the initiative reached another milestone when the working team presented the press releases of Festival of Togetherness 2025 and 2026 to CSU mayoral candidate Clemens Baumgärtner during a meeting with community representatives.
The objective of this interaction was to introduce the Festival of Togetherness initiative to political leadership, highlighting the efforts being made within the community to strengthen coordination and representation through structured collaboration.
5 March 2026 – Meeting with the Consulate General of India in Munich
Another important step took place on 5 March 2026, when members of the working team met with the Consulate General of India in Munich Hon’ble Consul General Shri Shatrughna Sinha
During the meeting, the team formally handed over the Festival of Togetherness press releases along with the VK Tree, symbolizing the vision of building stronger connections within the community through the philosophy of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam – “The World is One Family.”
The working team also shared the Pulse Check results and discussed the ongoing efforts toward creating a Dachverband that could bring together Indian community associations across Bavaria.
The Consul General Hon’ble Consul General Shri Shatrughna Sinha expressed encouragement for the initiative and supported the continuation of these efforts. He appreciated the approach of starting with Bavaria to gain experience and learning before expanding further.
27th March 2026 – Governance and Satzung Workshop: Inviting and Bringing Together the Minds Who Built Your Verein’s Foundation
As the initiative moves forward, the next step will be the Governance and Satzung Workshop scheduled for 13 March 2026.
The working team is inviting representatives who were directly involved in drafting the Satzung of their respective Vereine. The aim is to bring together the experienced minds behind existing Verein statutes so they can contribute their expertise and practical insights.
Rather than being a one-way presentation, the meeting will be designed as an interactive workshop, where participants will collaboratively work through the key pillars of governance and help shape the structure of the proposed Dachverband.
The objective is to develop a governance framework and Satzung that reflects the collective vision and needs of the participating associations, ensuring that the future platform is inclusive, practical, and built on the shared experience of the community.
Indian community Vereine across Bavaria are kindly invited to register their association through the following link:
🔗 Registration Link: https://form.typeform.com/to/DTIlOT5o
If your Verein leadership has not yet been informed about this initiative, we kindly request you to share this article with them so they can participate in the process.
In case your Verein was not included in the initial outreach, you are still welcome to participate by registering through the form and selecting the “Others” option and enter your verien name. This will ensure that your association can also be included in the ongoing discussions and future steps toward building a coordinated platform for the Indian community in Bavaria.
Through this step-by-step journey—from dialogue in 2025, to community verification in early 2026, and now moving toward governance and structure—the Festival of Togetherness initiative is laying the foundation for a stronger, more connected Indian community across Bavaria.
For any further information about this Dachverband initiative, please vasudhaiva.kutumbakam2025@gmail.com
