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German Chancellor Friedrich Merz will be on a two-day visit to India on January 12-13, at the invitation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

This will be Chancellor Merz’s first official visit to India.

Modi will receive Chancellor Merz on 12th of January 2026 in Ahmedabad, the capital of state of Gujarat.

The visit comes as the prime minister is scheduled to inaugurate the Vibrant Gujarat Regional Conference in Rajkot at Marwadi University on 11th of January 2026. This event is expected to attract large-scale investments to the Saurashtra and Kutch regions of Gujarat, a state in India where Modi was was its chief minister before becoming the prime minister of India.

Notably, Gujarat will also be hosting the colourful International Kite Festival during the time.

PM Modi is expected to attend the Kite Festival in Ahmedabad and also tour the Ahmedabad International Flower Show 2026, being held at the Sabarmati Riverfront in the city.

According to a MEA readout, PM Modi and the German Chancellor will take stock of the progress made in diverse aspects of the India-Germany Strategic Partnership, which completed 25 years last year.

The discussion will also focus on further intensifying cooperation in trade and investment, technology, education, skilling and mobility, while also advancing collaboration in important domains of defence and security, science, innovation and research, green and sustainable development, and people-to-people relations, a statement said.

Prime Minister Modi and Chancellor Merz will also engage with business and industry leaders and exchange views on issues of regional and global importance.

It may be recalled that Modi and Chancellor Merz had last met on the margins of the G7 Summit in Canada, during which both leaders had agreed to further expand the bilateral strategic partnership.

The visit also comes ahead of the India–EU Summit on 27th of January 2026.
The German Chancellor will also visit Bengaluru.