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Germany and India at 75: Significance of Chancellor Merz’s Delhi visit

Merz's visit aims to boost a $33.4 billion trade relationship and explore a $5.2 billion submarine deal with India amid growing economic and defence ties.

  • On Sunday, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz left for India to begin a two-day visit hosted by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Ahmedabad before travelling to Bengaluru, including a kite festival and a Sabarmati Ashram visit.
  • A German government official said the trip's main goal is to deepen economic relations, with bilateral trade reaching $18.31 billion in 2024, underscoring commercial stakes.
  • Negotiations cover a proposed $5.2 billion Type-214 submarine co-production plan and interest by ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems in a six-vessel $8 billion deal, but sources say contracts are unlikely during the visit.
  • Recruitment of skilled labour and healthcare workers is on the agenda, alongside student and research mobility talks, while the Bundestag's September 2025 export‑clearance update aims to ease defence and tech cooperation.
  • About two weeks before an EU-India summit, Merz's visit signals wider European engagement as structural hurdles like the lack of a bilateral investment treaty and visa delays remain amid strong people-to-people links with the Indian diaspora in Germany exceeding 300,000 and over 50,000 Indian students.
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Federal Chancellor Friedrich Merz flies to India to expand trade relations with the mega-state. Premier Modi has considered a special surprise for him.

·Berlin, Germany
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Accompanied by representatives of the largest German companies, Friedrich Merz is taking the plane to India. It is the first major Asia trip since the chancellor took office and is intended to show that the country is to become an important trading partner. Premier Modi will focus on armaments, specialists and Russia.

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Tribune India broke the news in Chandigarh, India on Saturday, January 10, 2026.
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