Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to host Germany’s Chancellor Friedrich Merz in the third week of January, just weeks after Russian President Vladimir Putin visited New Delhi for a high-profile visit to the South Asian nation.
Merz’s visit could see forward movement on India’s plans to buy and build the German Type 214 conventional submarine with air-independent propulsion.
Plans involve ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems tying up with Mazgaon Dock to build six vessels at a cost of around $8 billion, StratNews Global reported.
In June this year, Modi met him on the sidelines of the G7 Summit in Kananaskis, Canada.
That was the first meeting between the two leaders since Chancellor Merz assumed office in May 2025.
During the meeting, the two leaders expressed happiness at the sustained momentum in the bilateral relationship and reaffirmed their commitment to further strengthen cooperation in key areas of trade and investment, defence and security, green and sustainable development partnership, green energy, technology, innovation, education and mobility.
“Both sides agreed to further deepen and diversify the India-Germany Strategic Partnership, as it marks the milestone of completion of 25 years,” an official statement issued by the Ministry of External Affairs said on the meeting.
India was also among the first countries to establish diplomatic ties with the Federal Republic of Germany after the Second World War. On March 7, India and Germany marked the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations.
On 18 May 2000, India and Germany signed the Agenda for the Indo-German Partnership in the 21st Century.
The year 2025 marks the successful completion of 25 years of the India-Germany Strategic Partnership.
The strategic Partnership between India and Germany has been further strengthened with the launch of Intergovernmental Consultations (IGC) in 2011, at the level of Heads of Government.
