India and Germany Forge Stronger Ties with New Agreements Across Multiple Sectors
Strengthening Bilateral Relations
New Delhi: India and Germany have reaffirmed their commitment to finalizing the India-EU Free Trade Agreement (FTA) by signing a series of agreements on Monday that span various sectors, including trade, technology, health, and renewable energy.
As reported by the Ministry of External Affairs, the two nations finalized 19 agreements and announced several policies aimed at enhancing cooperation in strategic, economic, and cultural areas.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz expressed satisfaction with the ongoing growth in bilateral trade and investment, noting that trade between the two countries reached an all-time high in 2024, with positive trends expected to continue into 2025.
In 2024, the trade in goods and services between India and Germany exceeded $50 billion, accounting for over 25% of India's total trade with the EU.
An official statement highlighted the signing of a Joint Declaration of Intent aimed at bolstering economic cooperation through the German-Indian CEO Forum, which is expected to enhance collaboration between businesses in both nations.
PM Modi and Chancellor Merz praised the CEO forum's establishment and engaged with prominent CEOs and industry leaders to promote further business partnerships and investments in sectors such as technology, automotive, defense, shipbuilding, smart infrastructure, pharmaceuticals, chemicals, biotechnology, industrial equipment engineering, and energy.
They also acknowledged advancements in cooperation in critical and emerging technologies, including semiconductors, critical minerals, digitalization, telecommunications, health, and the bioeconomy, which supports the Innovation and Technology Partnership Roadmap.
The leaders expressed a strong commitment to establishing an institutional dialogue across the semiconductor value chain through a new Joint Declaration of Intent on Semiconductor Ecosystem Partnership.
They emphasized the importance of enhanced research and industrial collaboration between the semiconductor sectors of India and Germany. PM Modi welcomed the establishment of the Global Capability Centre (GCC) by German tech firm Infineon in GIFT City last March.
Recognizing the need for resilient supply chains, the leaders noted progress in collaboration on critical minerals through a Joint Declaration of Intent (JDoI) focused on critical minerals cooperation.
The two nations aim to explore opportunities in critical mineral exploration, research and development, value addition through processing and recycling, and the acquisition and development of critical mineral assets in both countries and third-party nations.
Regarding the Indo-German Digital Dialogue, the leaders acknowledged the completion of its Work Plan for 2026–27 and stressed the importance of collaboration on internet and data governance, AI, semiconductors, Industry 4.0, and emerging technologies.
They also noted the signing of a JDoI for cooperation in telecommunications and the extension of the Indo-German Science and Technology Centre (IGSTC).
The leaders recognized the enhanced dialogue between the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and the German Space Agency (DLR) and welcomed the potential for further cooperation between the two organizations, agreeing to boost engagements at the industry level.
Finally, they reaffirmed the necessity of mobilizing finance and investment for renewable energy and welcomed joint initiatives under the India-Germany Platform for Investments in Renewable Energy Worldwide, including the launch of working groups on solar energy manufacturing and wind energy in October 2025, as well as the newly formed Joint Working Group on Battery Energy Storage Solutions.