In January 2026, Chancellor Friedrich Merz chose India as his first destination in Asia — accompanied by 23 leading German CEOs. The visit produced agreements spanning semiconductors, critical minerals, defence co-production, and skilled worker mobility. One month later, the landmark Germany-India AI Pact was signed in New Delhi, creating joint initiatives across manufacturing, healthcare, energy, and agriculture. In parallel, the EU-India Free Trade Agreement promises to reshape commerce between Europe’s largest economy and the world’s fifth-largest.
Bilateral trade already exceeds $50 billion annually. Germany has committed €10 billion to India’s green transition through 2030. Over 280,000 Indians live in Germany, with 42,000 Indian students enrolled — the country’s largest international cohort. India is Germany’s most consequential partner in the EU.
Yet frameworks are not outcomes. Agreements signed are not agreements implemented. The bridge between government ambition and company-level action remains fragile — and that is precisely where GIF operates.
We exist because the India-Germany partnership needs more than diplomacy and more than trade shows. It needs an institution that produces the research, hosts the conversations, and builds the cultural understanding that turns political will into economic reality.