German chancellor Friedrich Merz will undertake a two-day visit to India from 12 to 13 January, with the trip expected to focus on strengthening bilateral cooperation across a range of areas including trade, investment, defence and technology.
Merz’s first visit to India as chancellor comes at a time when New Delhi is seeking to boost its overall economic engagement with Europe against the backdrop of Washington’s punitive tariff on Indian goods.
“The prime minister will receive Chancellor Merz on 12 January in Ahmedabad. The two leaders will take stock of the progress made in diverse aspects of the India-Germany Strategic Partnership, which completed 25 years last year,” the Ministry of External Affairs said on Monday.
“The discussion will also focus on further intensifying cooperation in trade and investment, technology, education, skilling and mobility, while also advancing collaboration in important domains of defence and security, science, innovation and research, green and sustainable development, and people-to-people relations,” it said.
The visit is taking place days before top leaders of the European Union are scheduled to arrive in New Delhi to finalise the much-awaited India-EU free trade agreement.
India is also set to host French President Emmanuel Macron next month, when he will participate in the AI Summit.
The MEA said Prime Minister Modi and Chancellor Merz will also engage with business and industry leaders and exchange views on issues of regional and global importance.
“The visit will build on the momentum generated by regular interactions at the highest political level,” it said.
“It will provide a valuable opportunity to reaffirm the shared vision of India and Germany to build a forward-looking partnership for the benefit of the people of both countries and the wider global community,” the MEA said in a statement.
People familiar with Merz’s visit said boosting trade and investment ties will be a major focus of the German leader’s engagements.
The talks between Modi and Merz will be held under the framework of the India-Germany Inter-Governmental Consultations.
The German chancellor’s visit comes amid a fractious geopolitical environment, including the Russia-Ukraine conflict and the United States capturing Venezuela’s President Nicolas Maduro.
It is expected that the Russia-Ukraine conflict may figure prominently in the discussions between the two leaders.
Modi and Merz may also review progress in bilateral cooperation in the area of clean energy. In 2024, the two sides launched the Indo-German green hydrogen roadmap aimed at supporting India’s ambition for the production, usage and export of green hydrogen.
