/images/ppid_59c68470-image-176823502754559386.webp)
/images/ppid_a911dc6a-image-176801303106090569.webp)
What is the story about?
India and Germany deepened their strategic partnership on Monday, January 12, with the signing of 19 memoranda of understanding (MoU) and a series of key announcements following talks between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and German Federal Chancellor Friedrich Merz in Gandhinagar, including the decision to allow visa-free transit for Indian passport holders through Germany.
Addressing a joint press conference, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said the German Chancellor’s visit marked a significant engagement between the two countries, with discussions spanning defence, trade, skills, green energy and people-to-people ties. Among the major outcomes was a joint declaration of intent to strengthen bilateral defence industrial cooperation and the establishment of a Chief Executive Officers’ Forum to promote trade and investment.
A key mobility-related outcome was Germany’s decision to allow visa-free airport transit for Indian citizens. The facility will enable Indian passport holders to pass through German airports for onward international connections without applying for a separate transit visa, provided specified conditions are met. The arrangement does not permit visa-free entry into Germany or the wider Schengen area, and Indians travelling for tourism, business, or long-term stays will continue to require the appropriate visas.
Also read: PM Modi hosts German Chancellor Merz in Ahmedabad, flies kites on first India visit
Migration and skills cooperation featured prominently in the talks. Prime Minister Modi said both countries had placed special emphasis on migration, mobility and skills, noting that Indian professionals, particularly in the healthcare sector, are making a significant contribution to Germany’s economy. A new framework under the Global Skills Partnership was announced to facilitate the movement of healthcare professionals, alongside a comprehensive roadmap on higher education cooperation.
Germany also announced funding of 1.24 billion euros under the Green and Sustainable Development Partnership to support renewable energy, green hydrogen and climate-resilient urban infrastructure. The two sides agreed to expand collaboration in clean and sustainable energy and to establish an India–Germany Centre of Excellence to strengthen cooperation in green technologies, innovation and climate action.
The talks also resulted in agreements covering economic cooperation, critical minerals, telecommunications, research and development in the bioeconomy, cooperation in sport and postal services, and the opening of an honorary German consulate in Ahmedabad. Both leaders reaffirmed cooperation on global issues, including reform of international institutions and coordination in the Indo-Pacific, while also discussing the situation in Ukraine and Gaza.
Chancellor Merz is on a two-day official visit to India as the two countries mark 75 years of diplomatic relations and 25 years of their strategic partnership.
Also read: Modi, Merz set for crucial talks in Ahmedabad amid rising geopolitical tension
Addressing a joint press conference, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said the German Chancellor’s visit marked a significant engagement between the two countries, with discussions spanning defence, trade, skills, green energy and people-to-people ties. Among the major outcomes was a joint declaration of intent to strengthen bilateral defence industrial cooperation and the establishment of a Chief Executive Officers’ Forum to promote trade and investment.
A key mobility-related outcome was Germany’s decision to allow visa-free airport transit for Indian citizens. The facility will enable Indian passport holders to pass through German airports for onward international connections without applying for a separate transit visa, provided specified conditions are met. The arrangement does not permit visa-free entry into Germany or the wider Schengen area, and Indians travelling for tourism, business, or long-term stays will continue to require the appropriate visas.
Also read: PM Modi hosts German Chancellor Merz in Ahmedabad, flies kites on first India visit
Migration and skills cooperation featured prominently in the talks. Prime Minister Modi said both countries had placed special emphasis on migration, mobility and skills, noting that Indian professionals, particularly in the healthcare sector, are making a significant contribution to Germany’s economy. A new framework under the Global Skills Partnership was announced to facilitate the movement of healthcare professionals, alongside a comprehensive roadmap on higher education cooperation.
Germany also announced funding of 1.24 billion euros under the Green and Sustainable Development Partnership to support renewable energy, green hydrogen and climate-resilient urban infrastructure. The two sides agreed to expand collaboration in clean and sustainable energy and to establish an India–Germany Centre of Excellence to strengthen cooperation in green technologies, innovation and climate action.
The talks also resulted in agreements covering economic cooperation, critical minerals, telecommunications, research and development in the bioeconomy, cooperation in sport and postal services, and the opening of an honorary German consulate in Ahmedabad. Both leaders reaffirmed cooperation on global issues, including reform of international institutions and coordination in the Indo-Pacific, while also discussing the situation in Ukraine and Gaza.
Chancellor Merz is on a two-day official visit to India as the two countries mark 75 years of diplomatic relations and 25 years of their strategic partnership.
Also read: Modi, Merz set for crucial talks in Ahmedabad amid rising geopolitical tension
/images/ppid_59c68470-image-176812002960859629.webp)
/images/ppid_a911dc6a-image-176819242689624516.webp)
