Modi, Merz hold CEO meet to boost India-Germany economic ties

Ahmedabad: Prime Minister Narendra Modi and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz met with the Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) from both countries at the India-Germany CEOs Forum in Ahmedabad, Gujarat.

While addressing a joint press conference after the meeting, PM Modi said, "Our bilateral trade has reached its highest level ever, surpassing the 50 billion dollar mark. More than 2,000 German companies have a long-standing presence in India. This reflects their unwavering confidence in India and the immense opportunities available here. This was vividly demonstrated this morning at the India-Germany CEO Forum."

"Technology cooperation between India and Germany has strengthened year after year, and its impact is clearly visible on the ground today. India and Germany share common priorities in the field of renewable energy. To further enhance this cooperation, we have decided to establish the India-Germany Centre of Excellence. This will serve as a shared platform for knowledge, technology, and innovation," he added.


Memorandum of Understanding (MoUs) were also signed between India and Germany in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz.

Prior to meeting with the CEOs, Prime Minister Narendra Modi delegation-level talks with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz as part of the latter's first official visit to India.

The discussions focused on strengthening bilateral ties between India and Germany as the leaders reviewed ongoing cooperation in trade, investment, technology, education, skilling, and mobility and explored collaboration in defence, security, science, innovation, research, and sustainable development.

Notably, the total bilateral trade in goods and services reached USD 51.23 billion in 2024-25. Germany is India's largest trading partner in EU. Germany accounts for roughly one-fourth of India's trade with the European Union, reinforcing its position as India's leading EU trading partner. Indo-German trade in services rose by 12.5% in FY 2024-25, reaching a record USD 16.65 bn.

Germany is the 9th largest foreign direct investor in India, with cumulative FDI inflows of USD 15.40 billion from April 2000 to June 2025. German investments in India during FY 2024-25 amounted to USD 469 million.