Overview
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi hosts German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on January 12 in Ahmedabad, with a visit to Sabarmati Ashram, participation in the International Kite Festival, and bilateral talks at Mahatma Mandir from 11:15 am.
- Merz travels to Bengaluru on January 13 to visit the Bosch campus and the Indian Institute of Science’s Centre for Nano Science and Engineering, underscoring a technology and innovation focus.
- The chancellor is accompanied by a business delegation featuring about 25 German CEOs as both sides seek to deepen trade, investment and supply-chain ties after reaching roughly $50 billion in combined goods and services trade last year.
- Talks will review the 25-year strategic partnership and target cooperation in technology, education and skilling, mobility, defence and security, science and innovation, and green development, with the leaders also engaging industry representatives.
- Defence discussions include a roadmap for future cooperation, while negotiations on a TKMS–MDL submarine project continue with no contract signing expected during this visit, and the trip precedes an EU–India summit with FTA talks in focus.