Bilateral relations between the

Republic of India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area; the most populous country since 2023; and, since its independence in 1947, the world's most populous democracy. Bounded by ...

and

Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...

have been traditionally strong due to commercial, cultural and technological co-operation.

History

Historic relations

Sikh soldier with captured Swastika flag

In 1407 CE,

Romani people {{Infobox ethnic group , group = Romani people , image = , image_caption = , flag = Roma flag.svg , flag_caption = Romani flag created in 1933 and accepted at the 1971 World Romani Congress , po ...

of Indian origin were recorded living in Germany; within ten years they are expelled. In the 19th and early 20th centuries, several German scholars made significant contributions to the exploration of

Indian culture Indian culture is the heritage of social norms and technologies that originated in or are associated with the ethno-linguistically diverse nation of India, pertaining to the Indian subcontinent until 1947 and the Republic of India post-1947. ...

and the study of

Sanskrit Sanskrit (; stem form ; nominal singular , ,) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan languages, Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in northwest South Asia after its predecessor languages had Trans-cultural ...

, working on the foundations laid by people like

Heinrich Roth Heinrich Roth (December 18, 1620 – June 20, 1668), also known as Henricus Rodius or Henrique Roa, was a German missionary and pioneering Sanskrit scholar. Life Having been born in Dillingen and raised in Augsburg, where his father Konrad Roth ...

and Johann Ernst Hanxleden. One of the most prominent figures was

Max Müller Friedrich Max Müller (; 6 December 1823 – 28 October 1900) was a German-born British comparative philologist and oriental studies, Orientalist. He was one of the founders of the Western academic disciplines of Indology and religious s ...

(1823–1900), a German

philologist Philology () is the study of language in oral and written historical sources. It is the intersection of textual criticism, literary criticism, history, and linguistics with strong ties to etymology. Philology is also defined as the study of ...

and Orientalist. He edited the 50-volume series ''

Sacred Books of the East The ''Sacred Books of the East'' is a monumental 50-volume set of English translations of Asian religious texts, edited by Max Müller and published by the Oxford University Press between 1879 and 1910. It incorporates the essential sacred texts ...

'', bringing Indian and eastern texts to a western audience.

Franz Bopp Franz Bopp (; 14 September 1791 – 23 October 1867) was a German linguistics, linguist known for extensive and pioneering comparative linguistics, comparative work on Indo-European languages. Early life Bopp was born in Mainz, but the pol ...

made groupbreaking contributions to

Indo-European studies Indo-European studies () is a field of linguistics and an interdisciplinary field of study dealing with Indo-European languages, both current and extinct. The goal of those engaged in these studies is to amass information about the hypothetical p ...

. Other important 19th century German

Indologists Indology, also known as South Asian studies, is the academic study of the history and cultures, languages, and literature of the Indian subcontinent, and as such is a subset of Asian studies. The term ''Indology'' (in German, ''Indologie'') is o ...

where

Albrecht Weber Friedrich Albrecht Weber (; 17 February 1825 – 30 November 1901) was a Prussian-German Indologist and historian who studied the history of Jainism in India. Some older sources have the first and middle names interchanged. Biography Weber was ...

Hermann Oldenberg Hermann Oldenberg (31 October 1854 – 18 March 1920) was a German scholar of Indology, and Professor at Kiel (1898) and Göttingen (1908). Work Oldenberg was born in Hamburg. His 1881 study on Buddhism, entitled ''Buddha: Sein Leben, seine Lehr ...

Friedrich Schlegel Karl Wilhelm Friedrich (after 1814: von) Schlegel ( ; ; 10 March 1772 – 12 January 1829) was a German literary critic, philosopher, and Indologist. With his older brother, August Wilhelm Schlegel, he was one of the main figures of Jena Roma ...

and

Georg Bühler Professor Johann Georg Bühler (19 July 1837 – 8 April 1898) was a German scholar of ancient Indian languages and law. Early life and education Bühler was born to Rev. Johann G. Bühler in Borstel, Hanover, attended grammar school in Hanove ...

Indology Indology, also known as South Asian studies, is the academic study of the history and cultures, languages, and literature of the Indian subcontinent, and as such is a subset of Asian studies. The term ''Indology'' (in German, ''Indologie'') is ...

became an important academic discipline in German universities, and Indian thought had its influences on

German philosophy German philosophy, meaning philosophy in the German language or philosophy by German people, in its diversity, is fundamental for both the analytic and continental traditions. It covers figures such as Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz, Immanuel Kant, ...

, with

Indomania Indomania or Indophilia refer to the special interest that India, Indians and their cultures and traditions have generated across the world, more specifically among the cultures and civilisations of the Indian subcontinent, as well those of t ...

developing in some circles. During

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

, India was ruled as an empire by the

British monarch The monarchy of the United Kingdom, commonly referred to as the British monarchy, is the form of government used by the United Kingdom by which a hereditary monarch reigns as the head of state, with their powers regulated by the British con ...

as the

Emperor of India Emperor (or Empress) of India was a title used by British monarchs from 1 May 1876 (with the Royal Titles Act 1876) to 22 June 1948 Royal Proclamation of 22 June 1948, made in accordance with thIndian Independence Act 1947, 10 & 11 GEO. 6. CH ...

. Consequently, the

Indian Army The Indian Army (IA) (ISO 15919, ISO: ) is the Land warfare, land-based branch and largest component of the Indian Armed Forces. The President of India is the Commander-in-Chief, Supreme Commander of the Indian Army, and its professional head ...

was ordered to contribute soldiers to the Allied war effort, including on the Western Front. Pro-independence activists within the colonial armies sought German assistance in procuring India's freedom, resulting in the ''

Hindu–German Conspiracy The Hindu–German Conspiracy (Note on the name) were a series of attempts between 1914 and 1917 by Indian nationalist groups to create a pan-Indian rebellion against the British Empire during World War I. This rebellion was formulated betw ...

'' during World War I. During

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, the Allied war effort mobilized 2.5 million volunteer troops from India.

Subhas Chandra Bose Subhas Chandra Bose (23 January 1897 – 18 August 1945) was an Indian independence movement, Indian nationalist whose defiance of British raj, British authority in India made him a hero among many Indians, but his wartime alliances with ...

, a prominent

Indian independence activist The Indian independence movement consisted of efforts by individuals and organizations from a wide spectrum of society to obtain political independence from the British, French and Portuguese rule through the use of many methods. This is a li ...

, made a determined effort to obtain India's independence from Britain by seeking military assistance from the

Axis powers The Axis powers, originally called the Rome–Berlin Axis and also Rome–Berlin–Tokyo Axis, was the military coalition which initiated World War II and fought against the Allies of World War II, Allies. Its principal members were Nazi Ge ...

. The '' Indische Legion'' was formed to serve as a liberation force for India and was principally made up of Indian PoWs and expatriates in Europe. The book ''

Mein Kampf (; ) is a 1925 Autobiography, autobiographical manifesto by Nazi Party leader Adolf Hitler. The book outlines many of Political views of Adolf Hitler, Hitler's political beliefs, his political ideology and future plans for Nazi Germany, Ge ...

'' by Nazi leader

Adolf Hitler Adolf Hitler (20 April 1889 – 30 April 1945) was an Austrian-born German politician who was the dictator of Nazi Germany from 1933 until Death of Adolf Hitler, his suicide in 1945. Adolf Hitler's rise to power, He rose to power as the lea ...

has remained popular in India even in the 21st century. Some early Hindu nationalists saw

Fascism Fascism ( ) is a far-right, authoritarian, and ultranationalist political ideology and movement. It is characterized by a dictatorial leader, centralized autocracy, militarism, forcible suppression of opposition, belief in a natural social hie ...

as an inspiration. The newly formed Republic of India was one of the first nations to end the ''State of War'' with Germany after

and did not claim war reparations from Germany although 24,000 soldiers serving in the Indian Army died in the campaign to fight Germany. India maintained diplomatic relations with both

West Germany West Germany was the common English name for the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG) from its formation on 23 May 1949 until German reunification, its reunification with East Germany on 3 October 1990. It is sometimes known as the Bonn Republi ...

and

East Germany East Germany, officially known as the German Democratic Republic (GDR), was a country in Central Europe from Foundation of East Germany, its formation on 7 October 1949 until German reunification, its reunification with West Germany (FRG) on ...

and supported their reunification in 1990. Germany condemned India for liberating Goa from Portuguese rule in 1961 and supported Portugal's dictatorial regime under Salazar against India. Germany was critical of India for intervening in the 1971

Bangladesh Liberation War The Bangladesh Liberation War (, ), also known as the Bangladesh War of Independence, was an War, armed conflict sparked by the rise of the Bengali nationalism, Bengali nationalist and self-determination movement in East Pakistan, which res ...

. Germany rejected India's 1998 nuclear tests with Chancellor Helmut Kohl saying: "This was the wrong decision for them to take; we do not accept that decision."

Strategic ties after the Cold War

The India-Germany strategic relationship is limited by the insignificance of German geopolitical influence in Asian affairs. Contrary to France and the UK, Germany has no strategic footprint in Asia. Over the past decade, Indo-German trade grew in volume but dropped in importance. According to Indian Ministry of Commerce MX data: Total trade between India and Germany was $5.5 billion (3.8% share of Indian trade and ranked 6) in 2004 and $21.6 billion (2.6% share of Indian trade and ranked 9) in 2013. Indian exports to Germany were $2.54 billion (3.99% ranked 6) in 2004 and $7.3 billion (2.41% ranked 10) in 2013. Indian imports from Germany were $2.92 billion (3.73% ranked 6) in 2004 and $14.33 billion (2.92% ranked 10) in 2013.

Global geopolitical reordering

India and Germany both seek to become permanent members of the

United Nations Security Council The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) is one of the six principal organs of the United Nations (UN) and is charged with ensuring international peace and security, recommending the admission of new UN members to the General Assembly, an ...

and have joined with Japan and Brazil to coordinate their efforts via the G4 collective. At the UN General Assembly summit in New York in September 2015, the P5 members of the UNSC dismissed any notion of dilution of their power at the UN's high-table and severely undermined efforts by

G4 nations The G4 nations, comprising Brazil, Germany, India, and Japan, are four countries which support each other's bids for permanent seats on the United Nations Security Council. Unlike the G7, where the common denominator is the economy and long- ...

to gain access to the exclusive club. While India maintains that it will continue to demand a permanent seat with veto powers within a reformed UNSC with privileges identical to the P5 nations, it has signalled that strengthening of bilateral economic and political ties with neighbouring countries is the immediate priority. Prevailing consensus within the United Nations that Europe is already over-represented within the UN Security Council, juxtaposed with long-established opposition from within Europe to the German candidature, constitute indomitable obstacles which confront Germany.

Defence and security

German Defence Minister Ursula von der Leyen meeting with senior officers of Western Naval Command

India and Germany maintain an ongoing dialogue in the areas of commercial maritime security and cooperation in the field of anti-terrorism. The

Indian Navy The Indian Navy (IN) (ISO 15919, ISO: ) is the Navy, maritime and Amphibious warfare, amphibious branch of the Indian Armed Forces. The President of India is the Supreme Commander of the Indian Navy. The Chief of the Naval Staff (India), Chief ...

and the

German Navy The German Navy (, ) is part of the unified (Federal Defense), the German Armed Forces. The German Navy was originally known as the ''Bundesmarine'' (Federal Navy) from 1956 to 1995, when ''Deutsche Marine'' (German Navy) became the official ...

conducted joint-exercises in 2008 for the first time, following an anti-piracy co-operation agreement between the two nations signed in 2006. Germany's military is principally structured to defend Eastern Europe and to supporting NATO operations in the Western European theatre of operations. Unlike UK and France, Germany not only does not have any sovereign territories in the

Indo-Pacific The Indo-Pacific is a vast biogeographic region of Earth. In a narrow sense, sometimes known as the Indo-West Pacific or Indo-Pacific Asia, it comprises the tropical waters of the Indian Ocean, the western and central Pacific Ocean, and the ...

region but is also incapable of

power projection Power projection (or force projection or strength projection) in international relations is the capacity of a state to deploy and sustain forces outside its territory. The ability of a state to project its power into an area may serve as an eff ...

. Hostile public sentiment in Germany towards overseas combat operations and the inability of Germany to independently sustain high-intensity long-range military deployments are obstacles to a meaningful strategic defense and security relationship. As part of Germany's strategic transformation and strengthening of cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region, Germany's

ThyssenKrupp AG ThyssenKrupp AG (, ; stylized as thyssenkrupp) is a German industrial engineering and steel production multinational conglomerate. It resulted from the 1999 merger of Thyssen AG and Krupp and has its operational headquarters in Duisburg and Ess ...

and India's Mazagon Dockyard Shipbuilding Co., Ltd. signed a memorandum of understanding to jointly bid for the construction of

submarine A submarine (often shortened to sub) is a watercraft capable of independent operation underwater. (It differs from a submersible, which has more limited underwater capability.) The term "submarine" is also sometimes used historically or infor ...

for the Indian Navy. German Defense Minister

Boris Pistorius Boris Ludwig Pistorius (; born 14 March 1960) is a German lawyer and politician of the Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD) who has been serving as Federal Minister of Defence in the governments of successive Chancellors Olaf Scholz and Fri ...

has stressed that India's continued reliance on Russian weapons is not in Germany's interest, he also acknowledging that "Germany cannot change (India's reliance on Russian weapons) on our own".

Cultural and educational cooperation

Germany has supported education and cultural programmes in India. Germany helped establish the

Indian Institute of Technology Madras The Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT Madras or IIT-M) is a public technical university located in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India. It is one of the eight public Institutes of Eminence of India. As an Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), ...

after both governments signed an agreement in 1956 and increased its co-operation and supply of technology and resources over the decades to help expand the institution. In the late 1960s, German aircraft designer

Kurt Tank Kurt Waldemar Tank (24 February 1898 – 5 June 1983) was a German aeronautical engineer and test pilot who led the design department at Focke-Wulf from 1931 to 1945. He was responsible for the creation of several important Luftwaffe aircraft of ...

, who worked for

Focke-Wulf Focke-Wulf Flugzeugbau AG () was a German manufacturer of civil and military aircraft before and during World War II. Many of the company's successful fighter aircraft designs were slight modifications of the Focke-Wulf Fw 190. It is one of the ...

during World War II, went to work in India. Kurt was first employed as the Director of the Madras Institute of Technology, and later joined

Hindustan Aeronautics Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) is an Indian Public sector undertakings in India, public sector aerospace and defence (military), defence company, headquartered in Bengaluru. Established on 23 December 1940, HAL is one of the oldest and lar ...

, where he designed the Hindustan Marut fighter-bomber, the first military aircraft constructed in India. Kurt Tank left Hindustan Aeronautics in 1967 and by the 1970s had returned to live in Berlin. Both nations established the Indo-German Science and Technology Centre in

New Delhi New Delhi (; ) is the Capital city, capital of India and a part of the Delhi, National Capital Territory of Delhi (NCT). New Delhi is the seat of all three branches of the Government of India, hosting the Rashtrapati Bhavan, New Parliament ...

to promote joint research and development in energy, environment, coal and water technologies. India and Germany have signed a MoU regarding the teaching of German language in ''

Kendriya Vidyalaya The Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan () is a system of Government of India, central government schools in India. Governed by the Ministry of Education (India), Ministry of Education, Government of India. , it has a total of 1,257 schools in India, ...

'' public schools in India and the reciprocal introduction of

and modern Indian language in government schools in Germany. Starting from 1999, several German educational institutions have relied on

satellite A satellite or an artificial satellite is an object, typically a spacecraft, placed into orbit around a celestial body. They have a variety of uses, including communication relay, weather forecasting, navigation ( GPS), broadcasting, scient ...

launch services provided by

ISRO The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO ) is India's national space agency, headquartered in Bengaluru, Karnataka. It serves as the principal research and development arm of the Department of Space (DoS), overseen by the Prime Minister o ...

. DLR-Tubsat,

BIRD Birds are a group of warm-blooded vertebrates constituting the class (biology), class Aves (), characterised by feathers, toothless beaked jaws, the Oviparity, laying of Eggshell, hard-shelled eggs, a high Metabolism, metabolic rate, a fou ...

, Rubin-8, Compass-1, Rubin-9A, Rubin-9B, BeeSat, UWE-2 & AISAT were all successfully launched using the

Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle The Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) is an expendable medium-lift launch vehicle designed and operated by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). It was developed to allow India to launch its Indian Remote Sensing (IRS) satellite ...

Trade and investment

Stiff competition between foreign manufactured goods within the Indian market has seen machine-tools, automotive parts and medical supplies from German ''

Mittelstand (; composed of the words "''Mittel"'' for ''middle'' and "''Stand''" for ''class'') commonly refers to a group of stable business enterprises in Germany, Austria and Switzerland that have proved successful in enduring economic change and turbule ...

'' ceding ground to high-technology imports manufactured by companies located in

ASEAN The Association of Southeast Asian Nations, commonly abbreviated as ASEAN, is a regional grouping of 10 states in Southeast Asia "that aims to promote economic and security cooperation among its ten members." Together, its member states r ...

BRICS BRICS is an intergovernmental organization comprising ten countriesBrazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, Egypt, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Iran and the United Arab Emirates. The idea of a BRICS-like group can be traced back to Russian foreign ...

countries. For the 2012-2013 (April–July) period, India's top 10 trading partners according to data published by the Indian Ministry of Commerce: According to German

Statistisches Bundesamt The Federal Statistical Office (, shortened ''Destatis'') is a federal authority of Germany. It reports to the Federal Ministry of the Interior. The Office is responsible for collecting, processing, presenting and analysing statistical informati ...

Indo-German trade data for 2014 : total trade with India was €15.98 billion (ranked 25) with €1.86 billion trade balance in Germany's favour. German exports to India was €8.92 billion (ranked 25), German imports from India was €7.06 billion (ranked 27). By 2023, total trade had grown to €30.8 billion (ranked 23) with €2.19 billion trade balance in Germany's favour. Germany is India's largest trading partner in Europe. Germany is the 8th largest foreign direct investor (FDI) in India. Germany's FDI totaled about US$5.2 billion during the period 2000–2012, constituting about 3% of total FDI to India. Indian investments in Germany have seen sharp increase in last few years. (Note: As a measure of comparison,

Remittances to India Remittances to India are money transfers (called remittance) from non-resident Indians (NRIs) employed outside the country to family, friends or relatives residing in India. India is the world's top receiver of remittances, claiming more than ...

by the

Indian diaspora Overseas Indians (ISO 15919, ISO: ), officially Non-Resident Indians (NRIs) and People of Indian Origin (PIOs) are people of Indian descent who reside or originate outside of India (Including those that were directly under the British Raj). Acc ...

worldwide was US$70 billion in 2013–14). Indian Prime-Minister Narendra Modi jointly opened the Hannover trade fair ''Hannover Messe 2015'' on 12 April 2015 along with Angela Merkel and held trade & investment discussions with German Chancellor Angela Merkel in

Berlin Berlin ( ; ) is the Capital of Germany, capital and largest city of Germany, by both area and List of cities in Germany by population, population. With 3.7 million inhabitants, it has the List of cities in the European Union by population withi ...

. In September 2015, Automotive Research Association of India (ARAI) was instructed by the Indian government to investigate if vehicles from Volkswagen had circumvented Indian laws and regulations on vehicle emission testing following the

Volkswagen emissions scandal The Volkswagen emissions scandal, sometimes known as Dieselgate or Emissionsgate, began in September 2015, when the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued a notice of violation of the Clean Air Act to German automaker Vol ...

. Ambuj Sharma, additional secretary at the Ministry of Heavy Industry, said: "ARAI has been asked to submit its report within a week."

Bilateral trade

German imports from India amounted to $9.51 billion or 2.26% of India's overall exports in 2021. The 10 major commodities exported from India to Germany were: # Machinery, nuclear reactors, boilers: $1.31 billion # Electrical, electronic equipment: $913.61 million # Organic chemicals: $833.80 million # Articles of apparel, knit or crocheted: $547.51 million # Vehicles other than railway, tramway: $498.97 million # Articles of iron or steel: $429.93 million # Articles of apparel, not knit or crocheted: $351.58 million # Pharmaceutical products: $316.05 million # Rubbers: $310.42 million # Articles of leather, animal gut, harness, travel good: $281.66 million German exports to India amounted to $13.3 billion or 2.17% of India's overall imports in 2019. The 10 major commodities exported from Germany to India were: # Machinery, nuclear reactors, boilers: $3.75 billion # Aircraft, spacecraft: $2.20 billion # Electrical, electronic equipment: $1.51 billion # Optical, photo, technical, medical apparatus: $1.22 billion # Plastics: $635.46 million # Organic chemicals: $590.91 million # Vehicles other than railway, tramway: $513.42 million # Miscellaneous chemical products: $469.05 million # Iron and steel: $346.54 million # Pharmaceutical products: $329.49 million

Development cooperation

Germany has been providing development aid to India since the 1950s. With German support, the steel plant in Rourkela was built in the 1950s. Germany also helped with agricultural modernization and the Green Revolution in India. Both countries cooperate in the Indo-German Energy Forum since 2006 for the funding of energy projects. Priority areas are Renewable energies and Energy efficiency. In 2022, Germany provided India with development aid amounting to almost 987 million euros. Focus areas are poverty reduction and environmental protection. In 2022, Germany pledged 10 billion euros to India for the expansion of renewable energy by 2030. In May 2022 both countries agreed to work on development projects in third-world countries (Triangular Development Cooperation).

Migration

Indians are one of the fastest growing groups of foreigners in Germany. The number of Indian migrants in Germany has risen sharply in recent years. In 2022, there were around 210,000 Indian citizens living in Germany, up from less than 100,000 in 2016. In the 1950s and 1960s, many Indian men came to Germany to study, most of them in engineering. Some of them returned to India, most of them stayed in Germany to work. In the late 1960s, many Catholic

Malayali The Malayali people (; also spelt Malayalee and sometimes known by the demonym Keralite) are a Dravidian ethnolinguistic group originating from the present-day state of Kerala and Union Territory of Lakshadweep in India, occupying its south ...

women from

Kerala Kerala ( , ) is a States and union territories of India, state on the Malabar Coast of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, following the passage of the States Reorganisation Act, by combining Malayalam-speaking regions of the erstwhile ...

were brought to Germany by German Catholic institutions. They mostly worked as nurses in hospitals. At the beginning of the new millennium, the Schröder government introduced a special German

Green Card A green card, known officially as a permanent resident card, is an identity document which shows that a person has permanent residency in the United States. ("The term 'lawfully admitted for permanent residence' means the status of having been ...

for Indian IT workers. In 2022, the two countries concluded a migration agreement that makes it easier for Indian skilled workers to immigrate to Germany. The migration and mobility agreement was signed to make it easier for Indians to enter Germany to work, study or begin training in the country. Waiting times and the bureaucratic burden of visa applications will be reduced.

Perceptions

General public

India suffers from a severe image deficit in Germany. In August 2007, a mob of over 50 persons attacked 8 Indians in

Mügeln Mügeln () is a town in the district Nordsachsen, in Saxony, Germany. It is located 9 km southwest of Oschatz and 14 km northwest of Döbeln. The town has a population of approximately 5,808 people. Geography Mügeln lies almost equi ...

. The poor perception of India in Germany can be attributed in part to media coverage of women's rights in India. An example is the gang rape on a bus in New Delhi in 2012, which made international headlines at the time. This can be seen as the pretext for a case from 2015 in which Professor Annette Beck-Sickinger, the head of the biochemistry department at

Leipzig University Leipzig University (), in Leipzig in Saxony, Germany, is one of the world's oldest universities and the second-oldest university (by consecutive years of existence) in Germany. The university was founded on 2 December 1409 by Frederick I, Electo ...

, caused a furore in India by rejecting an internship application from an Indian student as a retaliation against India's 'culture of rape' and alluding to the existence of a wider Europe-wide boycott of Indian male students. The

racial profiling Racial profiling or ethnic profiling is the offender profiling, selective enforcement or selective prosecution based on race or ethnicity, rather than individual suspicion or evidence. This practice involves discrimination against minority pop ...

gender discrimination Sexism is prejudice or discrimination based on one's sex or gender. Sexism can affect anyone, but primarily affects women and girls. It has been linked to gender roles and stereotypes, and may include the belief that one sex or gender is in ...

and

xenophobic Xenophobia (from (), 'strange, foreign, or alien', and (), 'fear') is the fear or dislike of anything that is perceived as being foreign or strange. It is an expression that is based on the perception that a conflict exists between an in-gr ...

undertones of the incident placed the spotlight on prevalent institutional bias, increasing intolerance to foreigners and level of respect for the

human rights Human rights are universally recognized Morality, moral principles or Social norm, norms that establish standards of human behavior and are often protected by both Municipal law, national and international laws. These rights are considered ...

of persons of color in Germany. Indians have been deeply critical of the German institutional approach to the 2015 Leipzig University internship affair and the absence of sanctions against professor Annette Beck-Sickinger. The Leipzig University internship controversy, occurred just weeks before the April 2015 official visit to Germany by Indian Prime-Minister Narendra Modi at the invitation of German Chancellor Angela Merkel. Despite this, the number of Indian students at German universities rose after 2015 and stood at 42,578 in 2023, overtaking Chinese students.

BBC World Service Country Rating Poll data for Germany and India

According to a 2014

BBC The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a British public service broadcaster headquartered at Broadcasting House in London, England. Originally established in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company, it evolved into its current sta ...

World Service Poll, 32% of Indians view Germany's influence positively, 42% neutral and 26% expressing a negative view, while only 16% of Germans view India's influence positively, 16% neutral and 68% expressing a negative view. Both countries view of each other is at the lower end of the poll charts by the BBC.2014 World Service Poll (Influence of India)

Pew Research Center Study

According to the report published by Pew Research Center in August 2023, 47% Germans viewed India favourably with 38% viewing it as unfavourable and 15% voting as "don't know/refused". The favourable views on India have declined from 2007 when 60% of Germans surveyed viewed India favourably.

Diplomatic exchanges

Official visits by German presidents and chancellors

In 2008, German Chancellor Angela Merkel made an official visit to India that led to the signing of several agreements expanding bilateral co-operation in commerce, science, technology and defence. In 2013, German Chancellor Angela Merkel led a German delegation which included German Federal Ministers of Transport, Building & Urban Development, Interior, Defence, Education & Research, Parliamentary State Secretary for Environment, Nature Conservation, and Nuclear safety; to the Second India-Germany Intergovernmental Consultations in New Delhi. On 4 October 2015,

German Chancellor The chancellor of Germany, officially the federal chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany, is the head of the federal government of Germany. The chancellor is the chief executive of the Federal Cabinet and heads the executive branch. Th ...

Angela Merkel Angela Dorothea Merkel (; ; born 17 July 1954) is a German retired politician who served as Chancellor of Germany from 2005 to 2021. She is the only woman to have held the office. She was Leader of the Opposition from 2002 to 2005 and Leade ...

travelled to India for the Third Indo-German Inter-Governmental Consultations accompanied by several members of her government (Minister for Foreign Affairs

Frank-Walter Steinmeier Frank-Walter Steinmeier (; born 5 January 1956) is a German politician who has served as President of Germany since 2017. He was previously Minister for Foreign Affairs (Germany), federal minister for foreign affairs from 2005 to 2009 and again f ...

, Science & Technology Minister Johanna Wanka, Minister for Economic Cooperation and Development

Gerd Müller Gerhard "Gerd" Müller (; 3 November 1945 – 15 August 2021) was a German professional association football, footballer. A prolific Forward (association football)#Striker, striker, especially in and around the six-yard box, he is widely regarde ...

, Food and Agriculture Minister

Christian Schmidt Hans Сhristian Friedrich Schmidt (born 26 August 1957) is a German politician and member of the Christian Social Union in Bavaria, Christian Social Union (CSU) who has been the High Representative for Bosnia and Herzegovina since August 2021. ...

) and a contingent of business leaders. Merkel and her German delegation travelled on a German military cargo plane (a

Luftwaffe The Luftwaffe () was the aerial warfare, aerial-warfare branch of the before and during World War II. German Empire, Germany's military air arms during World War I, the of the Imperial German Army, Imperial Army and the of the Imperial Ge ...

Airbus A310 The Airbus A310 is a wide-body aircraft, Aircraft design process, designed and manufactured by Airbus Industrie GIE, then a consortium of European aerospace manufacturers. Airbus had identified a demand for an aircraft smaller than the Airbus ...

military transport aircraft called ''Kurt Schumacher'') because the official government aircraft of the German Chancellor (''

Konrad Adenauer Konrad Hermann Joseph Adenauer (5 January 1876 – 19 April 1967) was a German statesman and politician who served as the first Chancellor of Germany, chancellor of West Germany from 1949 to 1963. From 1946 to 1966, he was the first leader of th ...

'', a

Airbus A340-313 VIP) became unflightworthy after developing technical problems. The visit, announced by the German embassy in India as a turning point in Indo-German relations, On 5 October 2015, Angela Merkel visited

Mahatma Gandhi Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi (2October 186930January 1948) was an Indian lawyer, anti-colonial nationalism, anti-colonial nationalist, and political ethics, political ethicist who employed nonviolent resistance to lead the successful Indian ...

's memorial at

Raj Ghat Raj Ghat is a memorial complex in Delhi, India. The first memorial was dedicated to Mahatma Gandhi where a black marble platform was raised to mark the spot of his cremation on 31 January 1948 and consists of an eternal flame at one end. Loca ...

and was accorded a ceremonial welcome at the

Presidential Palace A presidential palace is the official residence of the president in some countries. Some presidential palaces were once the official residences to monarchs in former monarchies that were preserved during those states' transition into republics. ...

prior to the Third Indo-German Inter-Governmental Consultations which led to the signing of 18 Memorandums of Understanding (MoU). Germany returned a 10th-century relic, a statue of the Hindu goddess

Durga Durga (, ) is a major Hindu goddess, worshipped as a principal aspect of the mother goddess Mahadevi. She is associated with protection, strength, motherhood, destruction, and wars. Durga's legend centres around combating evils and demonic ...

in her

Mahishasura Mahishasura (, ) is a bovine asura in Hinduism. He is depicted in Hindu texts, Hindu literature as a deceitful demon who pursued his evil ways by shape-shifting. Mahishasura was the son of the asura Rambha (asura), Rambha and the brother of buf ...

mardini avatar, which had been stolen from India. On 6 October 2015,

Prime Minister A prime minister or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. A prime minister is not the head of state, but r ...

Narendra Modi Narendra Damodardas Modi (born 17 September 1950) is an Indian politician who has served as the Prime Minister of India, prime minister of India since 2014. Modi was the chief minister of Gujarat from 2001 to 2014 and is the Member of Par ...

held trade discussions on Indo-German science, technology & education cooperation with Angela Merkel in

Bengaluru Bengaluru, also known as Bangalore (List of renamed places in India#Karnataka, its official name until 1 November 2014), is the Capital city, capital and largest city of the southern States and union territories of India, Indian state of Kar ...

, India's aerospace and ICT hub, besides exploring opportunities to improve bilateral trade. Merkel and Modi toured the vocational training facilities and innovation centre of Robert Bosch GmbH, Robert Bosch. Bosch entered India in 1922, when Illies & Company set up a sales office in Calcutta. Currently, Bosch India has a turnover of over $3 billion and over 31,000 employees spread across 10 locations and 7 application development centers. 84% of Bosch India revenues come from its automotive business, with the remaining 16% split between its non-automotive businesses that include packaging, energy and building solutions, power tools and consumer retail Robert Bosch GmbH, Bosch India is listed on the Indian stock exchanges and has a market capitalization of over $12 billion. Angela Merkel's 3-day official visit to India concluded after the two leaders attended a business & technology forum hosted by NASSCOM and Fraunhofer Society where Merkel said: "India needs jobs, Germany needs people and collaboration is crucial to meet the demographic needs of both countries", and opined that the advantages for German companies in India are its huge market, a great growth potential and an impressive capacity for innovation. Foremost newspapers in both Germany and India focussed primarily on the trade and investment aspects of the visit. Germany's State broadcaster Deutsche Welle eloquently captured the prevailing mood regarding the visit with its editorial titled:"A first step in the right direction – no more, no less". Indian Express in an editorial titled "She came and went" pondered over the modest nature of agreements announced during the visit and placed the onus on India to raise its attractiveness as a partner through concrete socio-economic progress and improvements in bilateral relations in India's immediate neighbourhood. The Hindu termed the visit as a ''dosis realitaet'' reality-check for Merkel and Modi. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz visited India on 25 February 2023. In a joint statement, both countries agreed to enhance their cooperation on innovation and technology.

Embassies and Consulates

The German embassy in India is located in New Delhi. The embassy of India in Germany is located at Berlin. Consulate Generals of India are located in Frankfurt, Hamburg and Munich.

Diplomatic incidents

In March 2024, India summoned a German envoy to protest against his government's call on the standards relating to independence of judiciary and basic democratic principles to be applied in the arrest of Indian opposition leader Arvind Kejriwal.

German organizations in India

* German Embassy New Delhi * German General Consulate Bengaluru * German General Consulate Chennai * German General Consulate Kolkata * German General Consulate Mumbai * Goethe-Institut Max Mueller Bavan * German Academic Exchange Service * Indo-German Chamber of Commerce

Indian organizations in Germany

* Indian Embassy Berlin * Indian General Consulate Munich * Indian General Consulate Hamburg * Indian General Consulate Frankfurt

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Germany-India relations Germany–India relations, Bilateral relations of Germany, India Bilateral relations of India