New Delhi |Jan 12, 2026 |  External Affairs At   the invitation of Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, Federal Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany, H.E. Mr. Friedrich Merz, paid an official visit to India from 12-13 January 2026. The Chancellor was accompanied by a high-level delegation including 23 leading German CEOs and industry leaders. 2. This was Chancellor Merz’s first official visit to India and his first visit to Asia as Federal Chancellor, reflecting the high priority Germany attaches to India as a key strategic partner in the Indo-Pacific. The visit followed the successful 7th India–Germany Inter-Governmental Consultations (IGC) held in New Delhi on 25 October 2024, and comes at a high point in the journey of bilateral ties between the two countries, with completion of 25 years of India–Germany Strategic Partnership in 2025, and commemoration of 75 years of diplomatic relations in 2026. Both leaders sincerely appreciated the renewed momentum in bila...