German Chancellor Friedrich Merz is set to undertake his first official visit to India next week, marking a significant moment in the evolving India-Germany strategic partnership.
The two-day visit, beginning January 12, comes at the invitation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and aims to deepen bilateral cooperation across a wide range of sectors.
During the visit, Chancellor Merz will hold talks with Prime Minister Modi in Ahmedabad.
Both leaders will also jointly attend the International Kite Festival at the Sabarmati Riverfront, underscoring the cultural dimension of the bilateral relationship.
The programme will then move to Gandhinagar, where formal bilateral engagements will take place at Mahatma Mandir, according to the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO).
The discussions will include a comprehensive review of the India-Germany Strategic Partnership, which recently completed 25 years.
The PMO stated that the leaders will explore ways to further strengthen cooperation in trade and investment, technology, education, skilling and mobility.
Key areas such as defence and security, science and research, innovation, and green and sustainable development will also feature prominently on the agenda.
In addition, Prime Minister Modi and Chancellor Merz will exchange views on key regional and global issues and engage with business and industry leaders from both countries.
Defence and Security Cooperation
Ahead of the visit, German Ambassador to India Philipp Ackermann met Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh to discuss bilateral defence and security cooperation.
The talks covered priority areas for co-development and co-production of defence equipment, highlighting growing alignment in strategic and industrial collaboration.
Prime Minister Modi and Chancellor Merz last met on the sidelines of the G20 Summit in South Africa in November, where both leaders described bilateral ties as strong and expanding.
They had also held discussions during the G7 Summit in Canada in June last year, their first interaction since Merz assumed office in May 2025.
Germany remains one of India’s largest trading partners within the European Union and a key source of investment, advanced technology and engineering expertise, marking an important step in further consolidating the partnership.
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