Overview
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi received Chancellor Friedrich Merz at Gandhi’s ashram in Ahmedabad to open a two-day visit before formal talks.
- Merz is accompanied by a business delegation of about 25 German CEOs, including Siemens chief Roland Busch, to advance trade and investment.
- A Thyssenkrupp Marine Systems project to build six submarines in Mumbai, valued at roughly €8 billion, is reported to be close to completion.
- Prospects for concluding a long-running EU‑India free trade agreement remain uncertain ahead of a summit planned for late January in New Delhi.
- Russia policy weighs on the discussions as India keeps close ties with Moscow, continues large oil purchases and declined to condemn the invasion at the UN.