German Chancellor Friedrich Merz Arrives in Ahmedabad on Maiden India visit

Prime Minister Modi will meet Chancellor Merz today in Ahmedabad. This marks Merz’s first official visit to India.

At around 9:30 am on January 12, the two leaders will visit the Sabarmati Ashram, followed by their participation in the International Kite Festival at the Sabarmati Riverfront at around 10 am. Bilateral engagements will then take place from 11:15 am onwards at Mahatma Mandir in Gandhinagar.

The two leaders will review progress on the India–Germany Strategic Partnership, which recently marked its 25th anniversary. Discussions will focus on intensifying cooperation in trade and investment, technology, education, skilling and mobility, as well as advancing collaboration in 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 regional and global issues and interact with business and industry leaders from both countries.

The visit is expected to build on momentum from regular high-level political interactions and reaffirm India and Germany’s shared vision for a forward-looking partnership benefiting both nations and the global community.

Prime Minister Modi and Chancellor Merz last met on the sidelines of the G7 Summit in Canada, where they agreed to further broaden the bilateral strategic partnership. During that interaction, PM Modi extended an invitation to the German Chancellor for an official visit to India.

The visit also comes ahead of the India–EU Summit scheduled for January 27. It is significant as German Ambassador to India Philipp Ackermann recently highlighted growing cooperation between India and Germany in defence and security, noting that the strategic partnership between the two nations has strengthened over the years.