I am Ajit Ranade. I’m the Founder & Managing Director of Desi Germans, and the founder & President of Marathi Katta Germany. Currently, I am in Frankfurt, Hesse, Germany.
I’m very happy to be a part of Kaffeeklatsch series!
Here, you will read about my journey till Frankfurt, Germany, my experiences and my work. Even though I am in love with Germany and have decided to live here in Frankfurt, Germany was not my destination since the beginning!
I was born in Kolhapur, and I come from a very simple family. Likewise, I learned in a Marathi medium school.
I was born and brought up in a small village. Or, in other words, I was born and brought up amidst nature. I am a nature lover since childhood. I love the mountains, forests, hills, trees, and all other nature wonders. Mountaineering, hiking have always been my hobbies since my
I have conducted many trips and expeditions to almost all
mountains in Maharashtra. I have also got a chance to climb the great Himalayas, Mt. Thelu and Mt. Koteshwar in the year 2001.
It was one of the most memorable experiences in my life!
Not just mountaineering, but I have also conducted many other nature camps in all over India. We were- “Wanderers’ the Adventure lovers”!
Adventurous tourism, mountaineering, was my only full time profession for seven years.
One of the highlights of our activities is the ‘Camp River Island’ on the small island in the Mula river near Mulshi, Maharashtra.
I love to hike and mountaineer even today!
My parents encouraged me to have good education and make a good career. I choose to make my career as a mechanical engineer, and went to Pune’s Govt. College of Engineering for Mechanical engineering after my 12th class.
I was attracted to mountains and nature. After completing my education, I left for some more Wanderlust!
In the year 2008, I joined an Engineering company as a sales and business development manager.
It was the time of the great recession, 2008. The global market was crashing, businesses and companies were very fragile. Indian companies were too facing many difficulties.
In 2011, I was asked to go to a foreign country, to work there for my company. Actually, I wanted to go to the USA for my career.
But fortunately or unfortunately, my visa to the USA was rejected, and I landed in Germany, to work in a company.
I was not so happy at that time. I couldn’t speak German at all, so I could not understand what the people said. How was I supposed to do business with them?
When I landed in Frankfurt, I could not speak German, nor did I know anything about Germany, the German culture, nor the German business etiquette.
But once I landed in Germany, my complete perspective changed.
Let me introduce Frankfurt to you first.
Frankfurt is the banking capital of Germany. Lots of Banks have their headquarters here. Also, it is one of the most diverse cities in Germany. Almost 55% of people living in Frankfurt are from 180 nations in the world, and speak more than 200 languages! Yet, they all live peacefully, together, happily!
Nearly 200+ companies in Frankfurt, small or big, are owned by Indians. They have provided employment to many people in Frankfurt! By 2018, almost 10,000 Indians were living in Frankfurt. By now, this number might have even increased!
After I came here, I decided to explore, to meet the Germans, to increase my contacts.
For this, I found a good chance!
In Frankfurt, many exhibitions are arranged every year, where many companies set up their stalls.
That year, it was the IAA- International Automotive Shows arranged in Frankfurt.
I went to every company, every stall in the market, talked to the people in the little colloquial German I had learned.
In this way, I met new people, and made new contacts. Slowly I improved my knowledge about Germany as a country.
I bought a Deutsche Bahn pass, and travelled all over Germany, right from Dortmund to Dresden and Karlsruhe to Kiel!
I was working in a German company in Frankfurt, from my Indian company’s side, for the sales department.
Till 2013, I completely focused on my work. As a leisure activity, I used to go for trekking in Odenwald mountains and in the Alps.
And by then, I had started to love Germany and Europe.
Even though I was asked to go to the USA, I decided to stay back in Germany.
Germans teach us a lot of things. I noticed, German people are very punctual, polite, and committed. They never mix their private and professional life. They follow their passion, and are never afraid to express their views, even to reject anything.
During my stay in Germany, I noticed the Indian Diaspora here. As I said, by 2018, more than 10,000 Indians were living here in Frankfurt !
I came to know, how it feels to live away from your motherland. You live in a completely different atmosphere! They all had so well integrated with the German culture. Still, they had not forgotten their original culture and traditions! The Marathi people here were not that well-connected to each other. Therefore, I decided to arrange certain activities and events for them.
On 1st April 2014 my friends and I created the social media handles of the Marathi-Katta Germany.
Our first event was really special!
In the year 2014, a new Marathi movie- “Astu- so be it” was released.
We thought, how about showing this movie in Germany, to our Marathi community?
Dr. Mohan Agashe, a renowned Marathi director and actor, supported our idea.
We successfully arranged a small theater, and brought the movie from India. To our surprise, even Germans, who couldn’t understand Marathi at all, also came to watch the movie!
The media channels back in India broadcasted our events, and appreciated our efforts. It was the first time that a Marathi movie was publicly broadcasted in Germany!
Later, we arranged more shows of Marathi movies in Frankfurt, in theaters!
We included English subtitles to the movies for everyone to enjoy.
We invited some renowned Marathi actors and directors to our programs. Mr.Nagraj Manjule, Mohan Agashe , Mrunmayee Deshpande, Abhijit Khandkekar, Sudhir Gadgil, Dr. Abahy Bang and, Dr Rani Bang and many others have paid visits to our Katta!
By the year 2014 till 2020, we had broadcasted almost 38 Marathi movies in Germany!
Mr. Avinash Dharmadhikari, Mrs. Pratibha Parkar, Mr. Amit Telang, Mr. Raveesh Kumar,
Dr. Ravindra Gurjar and many other great personalities have supported our work.
Our Katta was started by just 3 members. Today, our Marathi Katta Germany has more than 5,000 people associated with it.
We have started a Marathi school, a Marathi library, and have organized many other programs in Germany.
We also awarded our ‘Marathi Katta Puraskar’ to Snehavan, Mr. Ashok Deshmane, for their selfless work for kids of Marathi Farmers.
For the whole of the Indian community in Germany, our 'Friends of India' organization works wholeheartedly. It was established in 2016, by the Indian Consulate General in Frankfurt. And I am very proud that I am one of the founding members and conveners of Friends of India.
During this difficult times of Covid-19 and lockdown in Germany, Friends of India provided all the required help to our Indian students.
In the year 2018, we also arranged the India fest in Frankfurt, at Rossmarkt.
This was possible with help of the then Indian Consulate General of India in Frankfurt,
Mrs. Pratibha Parkar.
Via our programs, the German community realized that Indians are peaceful, co-operative and understanding in nature.
They came to know that many Indians learn German language, and can speak fluently!
Marathi-Katta, Friends of India are different organizations.
In early 2020, I left my job and founded my own company, Desi Germans.
Desi Germans provide business advisory services & higher education consultancy to Indian students coming to Germany. We have connections with many educational institutions here.
We guide the students, how to choose a university, a course, plus provide everything the students need- Admission, Accommodation, Internship, Travel, even emotional support. Not just education related assistance, but we also help you to get your dream job, or start your own business in Germany.
We become your family members once you come here.
We provide all the help and support you need for your education.
If you would like to know more about my company, you can check our website https://www.desigermans.com
I’m very happy to be a part of the Kaffeeklatsch series.
It was very nice to share my journey with you all students. I would be glad to assist you all students who wish to study and/or work in Germany.
Marathi-Katta, Friends of India, and Desi Germans all await your arrival in Germany!
-Ajit Ranade,
Frankfurt, Germany
Kaffeeklatsch is a part of Das Sprachgefühl magazine
Great job! Great initiative!
Congratulations 💐 Mr. Ranade!