Prime Minister Modi and Chancellor Merz will also exchange views on issues of regional and global importance, and engage with business and industry leaders of the two countries….reports Asian Lite News
Friedrich Merz, Federal Chancellor of Germany is scheduled to arrive at Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport in Ahmedabad on January 12, a statement by the MEA said.
Merz would then visit Sabarmati Ashram and participate in the Kite Festival. He is then scheduled to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi and issue press statements at Mahatma Mandir. He will also visit the Dandi Kutir.
On January 13, Merz will visit Bosch, followed by Nano Science and Engineering, CeNSE and then depart for Germany. PM Modi and Merz had met earlier on November 22 at G20 Summit.
The two leaders will review the progress made in the India-Germany Strategic Partnership, which has recently completed 25 years. Their 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 ties.
Prime Minister Modi and Chancellor Merz will also exchange views on issues of regional and global importance, and engage with business and industry leaders of the two countries.
The visit is expected to build on the momentum generated by regular high-level political interactions and provide an opportunity to reaffirm the shared vision of India and Germany to develop a forward-looking partnership for the benefit of both countries and the wider global community.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chancellor Merz last held discussions on the sidelines of the G7 Summit in Canada, where the two leaders agreed to further broaden the bilateral strategic partnership.
During that interaction, Prime Minister Modi extended an invitation to the German Chancellor for an official visit to New Delhi.
The visit is also taking place in the lead-up to the India-EU Summit scheduled for January 27.
Meanwhile, German businesses are eagerly anticipating the Free Trade Agreement (FTA), with India viewed as a key partner for Germany, according to Philipp Ackermann. The comments come ahead of the official visit of German Chancellor Friedrich Merz to India on January 12 and 13.
Ackermann noted that the timing of the Chancellor’s visit, occurring two weeks before the EU-India summit, signals German hopes for a successful FTA. “We feel that an FTA is a game-changer in our trade and industrial relations. German business is eagerly looking forward to having this FTA, and the Chancellor will certainly make that point. His (German Chancellor) visit, being two weeks ahead of the EU-India summit, is also a clear signal to the Indian side how much my country is really hoping for a good FTA, and the Chancellor will make that point,” he said.
The partnership also extends to higher education and research. Ackermann noted that 60,000 students of Indian origin currently study in Germany. He described German universities as very satisfied with these students, who maintain a reputation for commitment and hard work. The Ambassador noted that this reflects the strong character of the bilateral partnership in education.
Bilateral relations between the two countries currently stand at an all-time high. “India is a key partner for Germany. This strategic partnership has grown over the years. India is also a very important partner in defence,” Ackermann said. “Our partnership was never as good as it is now. I am very happy to see how strong the partnership is, how strong the attention in Germany toward India is, and how strong the friendship in India toward Germany is.”
He expressed satisfaction with the mutual attention and friendship between the nations, but added that a strong partnership can “always be stronger and better.” The upcoming visit aims to lead to a renewed effort to strengthen these ties further.
According to a release by the Ministry of External Affairs, at the invitation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Federal Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany, H.E. Mr. Friedrich Merz, will pay an official visit to India on 12-13 January 2026. This will be Chancellor Merz’s first official visit to India. On the visit, he will be travelling to Ahmedabad and Bengaluru.
The two leaders are expected to take stock of the progress made in diverse aspects of the India-Germany Strategic Partnership, which completed 25 years last year.
The discussions are also expected to 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.
