New Delhi, Jan 9 (IANS) German Chancellor Friedrich Merz will be on two day official visit to India, beginning January 12 at the invitation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Merz is scheduled to hold talks with PM Modi in Ahmedabad, and both leaders will participate in the International Kite Festival at the Sabarmati Riverfront. This will be followed by bilateral engagements at Mahatma Mandir in Gandhinagar, according to the statement released by the Prime Minister's Office. This will be Chancellor Merz's first official visit to India.

In a statement, the Prime Minister's Office stated, "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 urther 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."

The two leaders will also exchange views on issues of regional and global importance, as well as engage with business and industry leaders of India and Germany. Ahead of Chancellor Merz's visit, German Ambassador to India, Philipp Ackermann, met Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh on Thursday, discussing bilateral security and defence issues, including priority areas for co-development and co-production of defence equipment. "German Ambassador Dr Philipp Ackermann called on Defence Secretary Shri Rajesh Kumar Singh today. The Ambassador conveyed new year greetings to the Defence Secretary on behalf of the German side. They also discussed a range of bilateral security and defence issues, including priority areas for co-development and co-production of defence equipment," Directorate of Public Relations, Ministry of Defence, posted on X.

In November last year, PM Modi met German Chancellor Merz on the sidelines of the G20 Summit in South Africa. PM Modi described the relationship between India and Germany as strong and expanding across key sectors, including trade, technology and innovation. The Prime Minister had shared details of the interaction in a brief post on X, in which he underlined the growing strategic and economic engagement between the two countries. "It was wonderful to meet German Chancellor, Mr Friedrich Merz. India's ties with Germany are robust, especially in areas such as trade, technology, innovation and more," PM Modi had written on X.

PM Modi and Friedrich Merz had also met on the sidelines of the G7 Summit in Kananaskis, Canada, in June last year. This was the first meeting between the two leaders since Chancellor Merz assumed office in May 2025. Germany is one of India's largest trading partners in the European Union and a leading source of investment, engineering expertise and advanced technology.