German Chancellor Merz begins his first state visit to India

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz arrived in India for a two-day inaugural visit. He landed in Ahmedabad. the largest city in the state of Gujarat, Prime Minister Narendra Modi's home region, shortly before 2:00 a.m. local time on Monday.

Randhir Jaiswal, the official spokesperson for India's Ministry of External Affairs welcomed the Chancellor on social media. 

Modi officially welcomed Merz in the morning at a memorial to the national hero, Mahatma Gandhi.

Street posters featuring Friedrich Merz and Narendra Modi on the occasion of the state visit, Ahmedabad, IndiaStreet posters featuring Friedrich Merz and Narendra Modi on the occasion of the state visit, Ahmedabad, India

Large signs bearing images of Merz and Modi line the streets of the eight-million-person city in welcome of the chancellor. Today, the two leaders will attend the traditional kite festival together.

This festival marks the transition from winter to summer, with thousands of paper kites taking to the skies. Only then will the political talks begin.

India and Germany on the verge of €8 billion submarine deal

Chancellor Friedrich Merz's visit to India will likely forward negotiations on a €8 billion ($9.3 billion) deal to jointly build submarines in India, DW's Delhi Bureau Chief Sandra Petersmann confirmed.

The deal is likely to be a central focus of the German chancellor's visit as the 25-member delegation of CEOs travelling with Merz includes the CEO of Thyssen Krupp Maritime Systems (TKMS), Oliver Burkhard.

Shairee Malhotra, Deputy Director at the Observer Research Foundation in New Delhi told DW that the deal is "crucial" for both India and Germany.

"The submarine deal is crucial because it not only supports India's defense modernization but also indigenization goals because it will also involve tech transfers for submarine productions," Malhotra said.

"For Germany the deal is important because it helps wean India off its traditional dependence on Russian military equipment while also enabling Germany to tap into India's lucrative defense market," she added.

Merz tours Mahatma Gandhi's residence with Modi

Chancellor Friedrich Merz visited the Sabarmati Ashram — Mahatma Gandhi's residence during the Indian independence movement — in Gujarat with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday morning.

Gandhi, revered in India as "Father of the Nation," is one of the country's key historic figures known for leading the "Quit India" movement against British colonial rule and for his committment to non-violence.

The German chancellor was seen touring the residence, signing the guestbook, and viewing the iconic spinning wheel that Gandhi used to make his own textiles. The spinning wheel is often seen as a symbol of India's self-reliance. 

Merz and Modi are scheduled to meet bilaterally in the coming hours, after which they will hold a press conference.

Merz, Modi attend International Kite Festival

Moving on from the Sabarmati Ashram, Chancellor Merz and Prime Minister Modi indulged in a lighthearted moment at the International Kite Festival at the Sabarmati riverfront in the western city of Ahmedabad.

Several kites surfed the skies, including some sporting motifs of the leaders, motifs of Hindu deities and flags of India and Germany.