India-Germany ties can only soar higher

Images of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz flying kites over Ahmedabad captivated audiences last week. Beyond the delight of the moment, that kite offered a fitting metaphor: in gusty weather, a skilled flyer doesn’t retreat—he rises. So too with the India-Germany partnership, which is finding lift and direction amid unsettled global winds.

Navigating headwinds together

Both countries have felt the strain of an eroding international trade system and rising disregard for international law, trends that undermine the rules-based order on which open economies depend. Each also faces regional security uncertainties. What India and Germany seek is predictability—the environment in which people and businesses thrive through effort, inventiveness, and education. A resilient partnership is tested in turbulence, and recent months have underscored how closely aligned New Delhi and Berlin are in their desire to stabilize the ground rules and keep opportunity open.

Two economic heavyweights, one shared horizon

As leaders of the world’s fourth- and third-largest economies, respectively, Prime Minister Modi and Chancellor Merz preside over engines of global growth. In the coming years, India is set to overtake Germany, and that shift should be seen not as a loss for one, but as a gain for both. Prosperity is not a zero-sum game: a stronger Indian economy enlarges the market for German products and technology, while the growing presence of Indian companies in Germany sharpens competition, spurs innovation, and benefits consumers on both sides.

Trade, resilience, and the value of first impressions

A central takeaway from the visit was the shared imperative to advance an ambitious free trade agreement between the European Union and India. Such an accord would anchor growth, diversify supply chains, and harden both economies against shocks and disruptive trade conflicts. The decision to begin the trip in Ahmedabad, the Prime Minister’s home state, carried warmth and symbolism—hospitality matched with substance. It signaled confidence in a relationship that is both strategically important and personally resonant for the leaders involved.

People at the heart of partnership

One encounter captured the human side of these ties: Chancellor Merz spoke with Indian students preparing to move to Germany, including a young woman conversing in German after only a few months of study. That moment showcased qualities many admire in India’s talent—agility, determination, and a clear path from ambition to achievement. Around the world, traditional pathways can feel narrower than before. Yet Germany continues to open safe, legal, and predictable routes for skilled, driven Indians to study, work, and build lives. This migration partnership doesn’t just fill jobs; it builds bridges of language, culture, and shared experience that make the larger strategic relationship more durable.

Seventy-five years—and the next chapter

As 2026 marks 75 years of diplomatic relations, India and Germany enter the anniversary with a sense of momentum. Their closer alignment is not merely a reaction to external shocks; it stems from deliberate choices in recent years to chart a long-term course together. The foundations are clear:

• A robust EU-India free trade agreement to unlock market access, investment, and innovation.
• Deeper defense and security cooperation to support regional stability and shared interests.
• Growing people-to-people links—students, researchers, entrepreneurs, and families—that lend resilience and trust to the partnership.

Looking ahead: from kites to catalysts

The coming Intergovernmental Consultations in Germany will offer a chance to convert intent into outcomes—on trade facilitation, technology and climate cooperation, supply chain diversification, skilling, and mobility. Expect practical steps that make it easier for businesses to invest and collaborate, for startups to scale across borders, and for research communities to turn ideas into industry. In defense and security, clearer frameworks for cooperation and trade can enhance interoperability and speed up delivery, while preserving standards and transparency.

Energy and climate are likely to remain central. Germany’s engineering strengths and India’s scale can accelerate the deployment of green hydrogen, renewable manufacturing, energy storage, and grid modernization—areas where collaboration reduces costs and increases impact. Digital public infrastructure, where India has pioneered scalable solutions, also presents fertile ground for joint work on standards, cyber resilience, and inclusive access.

Underpinning all of this is trust. Predictability in rules, transparency in processes, and a shared commitment to the international order are the ballast that keeps a partnership steady. When supply chains reroute, when markets gyrate, and when geopolitical winds shift, those fundamentals help both countries keep their bearings.

A partnership designed to rise

The image of two leaders guiding a kite across the Ahmedabad sky was more than a photo opportunity. It was a reminder that lift comes from resistance, and that skill shows when conditions are least forgiving. With economic heft, complementary strengths, and a clear strategic direction, India and Germany are poised not just to weather turbulence, but to convert it into altitude.

As the anniversary year unfolds, expect concrete advances—in trade architecture, defense cooperation, and human mobility—that make the relationship broader, deeper, and more resilient. From the festival skies of Gujarat to the conference rooms of Berlin, the message is the same: this is a partnership built to climb. India-Germany ties can only soar higher.