India–Germany deepen strategic partnership as PM Narendra Modi and Chancellor Friedrich Merz agree to strengthen defence cooperation, military exercises, counter-terrorism efforts, and defence industrial collaboration, marking a new phase in bilateral security and diplomatic relations.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on Monday reaffirmed their shared commitment to significantly deepen defence and security cooperation between India–Germany, marking a new phase in bilateral relations as the two nations celebrate 25 years of their Strategic Partnership and 75 years of diplomatic ties.
The high-level talks, held in Ahmedabad during Chancellor Merz’s first official visit to Asia, underscored a mutual resolve to expand military-to-military cooperation through joint exercises, advanced training programmes, exchanges of senior defence officials, and enhanced naval engagement. Both leaders noted with satisfaction the growing frequency of reciprocal port calls by naval vessels of the two countries, reflecting increasing operational familiarity and trust.
According to a joint statement issued after the meeting, Prime Minister Modi and Chancellor Merz welcomed the establishment of a new Track 1.5 Foreign Policy and Security Dialogue. This platform is expected to bring together officials, strategic experts, and thought leaders to facilitate deeper coordination on regional and global security challenges, defence policy, and geopolitical developments.
Following the talks, Prime Minister Modi shared his reflections on social media, describing the visit as a significant milestone. He noted that Chancellor Merz’s decision to make India the destination of his first Asian visit demonstrated his personal commitment to strengthening India–Germany relations. Modi said the discussions aimed to elevate bilateral ties to a “qualitatively higher level,” with expanded cooperation in defence, space, and other critical and emerging technologies.
Defence cooperation featured prominently in the talks, with India welcoming Germany’s intent to participate in major Indian-led naval and air exercises. These include Naval Exercise MILAN and the 9th Indian Ocean Naval Symposium (IONS) Conclave of Chiefs scheduled for February 2026, as well as the Air Combat Exercise “Tarang Shakti” in September 2026. Germany also announced its decision to deploy a Liaison Officer to the Information Fusion Centre–Indian Ocean Region (IFC-IOR), a move expected to enhance maritime domain awareness and information sharing across the strategically vital Indian Ocean.
Both leaders expressed satisfaction with ongoing collaboration between India’s Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and the Organisation for Joint Armament Cooperation (OCCAR) in the Eurodrone MALE UAV programme. This partnership is expected to enable India to harness advanced military technologies while strengthening its defence and strategic ties with Europe.
A major outcome of the meeting was the signing of a Joint Declaration of Intent to develop a Defence Industrial Cooperation Roadmap. The roadmap aims to promote long-term industry-level collaboration, including technology partnerships, co-development, and co-production of defence platforms and equipment. India welcomed Germany’s efforts to facilitate faster export clearances for defence equipment, which could help accelerate joint projects and industrial partnerships.
The leaders also acknowledged the growing engagement between Indian and German defence industries, highlighted by Defence Roundtables and seminars held in Berlin and New Delhi. They praised ongoing cooperation in areas such as submarine technologies, helicopter obstacle avoidance systems, and Counter-Unmanned Aerial Systems (C-UAS). Looking ahead, both sides agreed to further enhance defence industrial collaboration by leveraging their complementary strengths—India’s skilled workforce and competitive production costs, and Germany’s advanced technologies and investment capabilities.
Progress was also noted towards concluding several key agreements, including a Memorandum of Understanding on peacekeeping training between Indian and German institutions, a Reciprocal Logistics Support Agreement between the armed forces, and expanded knowledge exchange on new defence technologies between DRDO and Germany’s Federal Office of Bundeswehr Equipment, Information Technology and In-Service Support (BAAINBw).
Beyond defence, Prime Minister Modi and Chancellor Merz reiterated their firm stance against terrorism and violent extremism in all forms. They strongly condemned recent terrorist attacks, including incidents in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, and Delhi, and called for sustained international cooperation to combat terrorism in accordance with the United Nations Charter and international law. Both leaders reaffirmed their commitment to act against terrorist entities listed under the UN 1267 Sanctions Committee and urged all countries to eliminate terrorist safe havens, disrupt financing networks, and dismantle supporting infrastructure.
The joint statement also welcomed the ratification of the Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty and acknowledged progress made under the Joint Working Group on Counter-Terrorism, signalling closer legal and intelligence cooperation between the two countries.
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People-to-people ties were described as a vital pillar of the India–Germany Strategic Partnership. The leaders welcomed growing exchanges of students, researchers, skilled professionals, artists, and tourists. They also expressed willingness to strengthen legal mobility frameworks and cooperation on migration management, including addressing irregular migration, human trafficking, and document fraud, through full implementation of the Migration and Mobility Partnership Agreement.
Overall, the talks reflected a shared vision to build a resilient, future-oriented partnership grounded in strategic trust, shared democratic values, and a commitment to global peace and stability.
