German Chancellor Merz begins his first state visit to India

Chancellor Friedrich Merz's visit to India will likely forward negotiations on a €8 billion ($9.3 billion) deal to jointly build submarines in India, DW's Delhi Bureau Chief Sandra Petersmann confirmed.

The deal is likely to be a central focus of the German chancellor's visit as the 25-member delegation of CEOs travelling with Merz includes the CEO of Thyssen Krupp Maritime Systems (TKMS), Oliver Burkhard.

Shairee Malhotra, Deputy Director at the Observer Research Foundation in New Delhi told DW that the deal is "crucial" for both India and Germany.

"The submarine deal is crucial because it not only supports India's defense modernization but also indigenization goals because it will also involve tech transfers for submarine productions," Malhotra said.

"For Germany the deal is important because it helps wean India off its traditional dependence on Russian military equipment while also enabling Germany to tap into India's lucrative defense market," she added.

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Merz's first visit to India as chancellor will see him stop at the western city of Ahmedabad and the southern city of Bengaluru.

Here are some interesting facts that may have influenced the German chancellor's itinerary: German Chancellor Friedrich Merz arrived in India on Monday for a two-day official visit at the invitation of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Merz is scheduled to meet Modi in the western city of Ahmedabad on Monday.

"The two leaders will take stock of the progress made in diverse aspects of the India-Germany Strategic Partnership, which completed 25 years last year," the Indian Foreign Ministry said in a statement on the visit.

Merz and Modi will discuss deepening cooperation in sectors including trade, investment, technology, education and defence.

The German chancellor is also due to visit the Gandhi Ashram, once the residence of Mahatma Gandhi and a main center for India's struggle for freedom from British colonial rule.

On Tuesday, Merz is visiting Bengaluru (also known as Bangalore), the center of India's high-tech industry.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz arrived in India for a two-day inaugural visit. He landed in Ahmedabad. the largest city in the state of Gujarat, Prime Minister Narendra Modi's home region, shortly before 2:00 a.m. local time on Monday.

Randhir Jaiswal, the official spokesperson for India's Ministry of External Affairs welcomed the Chancellor on social media.

Modi will officially welcome Merz in the morning at a memorial to the national hero, Mahatma Gandhi.

Large signs bearing images of Merz and Modi line the streets of the eight-million-person city in welcome of the chancellor. Today, the two leaders will attend the traditional kite festival together.

This festival marks the transition from winter to summer, with thousands of paper kites taking to the skies. Only then will the political talks begin.

Germany's Chancellor Friedrich Merz is traveling to India for a two-day visit, his first since becoming chancellor in May 2025.

Merz is due to visit Ahmedabad, the largest city in the western state of Gujarat, and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's political home base.

The visit, which kickstarts Merz's diplomatic activities this year, comes ahead of an EU-India summit later this month, where a long-awaited free trade agreement is widely expected to be signed.

This blog will bring you all the latest news, videos and analyses from Merz's visit. Stay tuned!