India, Germany Reaffirm Strategic Partnership
- 13 Jan 2026
On 12th January 2026, Prime Minister and German Chancellor reaffirmed their commitment to deepening the India–Germany Strategic Partnership during Merz’s first official visit to India.
- The visit resulted in the exchange of 19 MoUs and 8 key announcements across defence, technology, and clean energy.
Key Points:
- Milestone in Relations: The visit coincides with 25 years of India–Germany Strategic Partnership (2025) and 75 years of diplomatic relations (2026).
- Cultural Engagement: The leaders visited Sabarmati Ashram, paid tribute to Mahatma Gandhi, attended the International Kite Festival in Ahmedabad, and jointly addressed the India–Germany CEOs Forum.
- Defence & Security Cooperation: Agreement to enhance military-to-military cooperation, joint exercises, defence industrial collaboration, and counter-terrorism efforts; signing of a Joint Declaration of Intent on Defence Industrial Cooperation.
- Trade, Economy & Technology: Bilateral trade crossed USD 50 billion in 2024; strong support reiterated for concluding the India–EU Free Trade Agreement; new cooperation initiatives in semiconductors, AI, digitalisation, critical minerals, and R&D.
- Green & Sustainable Development: Progress reviewed under the Green and Sustainable Development Partnership, with nearly €5 billion of Germany’s €10 billion commitment utilised; focus on green hydrogen, renewable energy, battery storage, and green mobility.
- Global & Regional Issues: Reaffirmation of support for a free and open Indo-Pacific, UNCLOS, UN Security Council reform, and dialogue-based resolution of conflicts in Ukraine and Gaza.
- People-to-People Ties: Expansion of cooperation in education, skilling, research, mobility, and culture; Germany’s decision on visa-free transit for Indian passport holders welcomed.
- Future Engagements: Both leaders agreed to hold the next India–Germany Inter-Governmental Consultations in Germany later in 2026.
