Narendra Modi's Europe visit: PM to woo investors during visit to Germany

NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will hardshell India as an attractive investment destination while deliberating with movers and shakers of global business at the Hannover Messe during his three-day trip to Germany beginning Sunday, besides holding talks with its top leadership.

In his maiden visit to the European nation as Prime Minister, Modi will have a packed schedule and wooing investors and projecting his ambitious " Make in India" initiative will be a major focus area.

Modi will inaugurate the Hannover Messe, considered the largest congregation of business tycoons, along with German Chancellor Angela Merkel. India is the partner country of the fair this year where over 350 Indian enterprises are participating.

"In January, the world came to vibrant India in Gujarat and now exactly three months later, vibrant India is coming to the world in Germany to Hannover Messe," German Ambassador Michael Steiner told reporters briefing on Modi's trip.

Expecting that Modi's visit will take the relationship to a "new level", Steiner said Chancellor Merkel will come to India in October for the inter-govermental meeting where all major issues will be deliberated at length.

The Prime Minister will have a round-table with top German CEOs on Sunday and again will interact with around 800 business leaders the next day at the Indo-German business summit. He may have one-on-one meetings with some of the CEOs, according to Steiner.

The envoy said Modi will leave for Berlin on Monday evening and will have a detailed meeting with Merkel on Tuesday on a range of issues including clean energy, infrastructure development, smart cities project among others.

A letter of intent on a solar rooftop project and another on cooperation between some of the German and Indian cities may be signed during Modi's visit.

The Prime Minister's delegation will include five Union Ministers including Nirmala Sitharaman, Piyush Goyal, Ravi Shankar Prasad, Rajiv Pratap Rudy and M Venkaiah Naidu.

Chief Ministers of Meghalaya, Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra are also likely to travel with Modi besides around 110 business leaders, the envoy said.