Image Source media.openthemagazine
AHMEDABAD, Jan 12, 2026 — Against the vibrant, sun-drenched backdrop of the Sabarmati Riverfront, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz today signaled a “new era” for the Indo-German Strategic Partnership. In a visit defined as much by cultural symbolism as by high-stakes industry, the two leaders jointly inaugurated the International Kite Festival 2026, even taking a moment to fly a kite together—a gesture seen as a metaphor for the soaring ambitions of their bilateral ties.
Chancellor Merz, on his first official visit to India since taking office, began his day with a poignant visit to the Sabarmati Ashram, where he paid tribute to Mahatma Gandhi. However, the focus quickly shifted from the historical to the futuristic as the leaders moved to Gandhinagar for delegation-level talks.
The Three Pillars of the 2026 Partnership
The centerpiece of the visit is a suite of landmark agreements aimed at securing supply chains and modernizing defense capabilities:
- Semiconductor Sovereignty : India and Germany are expected to sign a major Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to integrate India into the European semiconductor value chain. With German giants like Infineon represented in the Chancellor’s 25-member CEO delegation, the pact focuses on R&D and the establishment of high-end manufacturing units in India.
- Critical Minerals & Green Energy : As Berlin seeks to “de-risk” from China, a new agreement on Critical Minerals will see Germany providing technical expertise for mineral processing in exchange for stable access to India’s burgeoning rare-earth reserves. Additionally, the duo announced the India-Germany Centre of Excellence for renewable energy.
- Defense & Submarines : High on the agenda is a multi-billion-dollar roadmap for defense manufacturing. Sources indicate significant progress on the long-discussed Project 75I, involving a potential $8 billion deal for ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems to build advanced conventional submarines for the Indian Navy. A “First” Beyond the West
This trip marks Chancellor Merz’s first bilateral visit outside of the NATO and EU sphere—a move German Ambassador Philipp Ackermann called a “strong signal” of India’s rising importance.
“Close cooperation between economies like India and Germany is crucial for all of humanity,” PM Modi stated during the press engagement. “Our trade has hit a record $50 billion, but today we move beyond trade to deep technological fusion.”
Tomorrow, Chancellor Merz will travel to Bengaluru, India’s “Silicon Valley,” to visit the Bosch Adugodi campus and the Centre for Nano Science and Engineering (CeNSE). The visit serves as a critical precursor to the upcoming EU-India Summit scheduled for January 27, where both leaders hope to break the long-standing deadlock on a Free Trade Agreement (FTA).
