Background
Germany and India signed a Joint Statement on Strategic Partnerships in 2022. Since then, the relationship has moved quickly: EU-India Free Trade Agreement negotiations have regained momentum, defence and technology cooperation has deepened, and India has become a key partner in German supply chain diversification away from China. The Merz visit reinforced that this is not a peripheral relationship – it sits at the centre of German foreign policy thinking.
Chancellor Friedrich Merz visited India in May 2025 on his first bilateral trip to Asia – a clear signal of where Germany sees its strategic priorities. India is now the third-largest economy in the world by purchasing power, home to the largest youth population globally, and increasingly a decisive player in questions of global trade architecture, technology standards, and security order.
At the same time, there is a generation of young Indians who are coming to Germany to study, to work, to build careers. Germany needs India’s talent. India’s young professionals need what Germany offers. But the personal connections, the mutual understanding, the informal networks that make partnerships real – those are still thin. That is the gap this Dialogue wants to close
About the Dialogue
From 23 to 26 April 2026 in Berlin, the Dialogue brings together approximately 30 carefully selected students from Germany, India, and institutions with strong Indo-German ties. Participants come from leading universities including TU Munich, Heidelberg, TU Berlin, LMU Munich, UCL, IIT Delhi and more, drawn from economics, technology, law, political science, and international relations. The four-day programme combines panel discussions, interactive working sessions, and networking with representatives from diplomacy, politics, academia, and business. Thematic focus areas include innovation & digital transformation, economic cooperation & trade, energy transition, and global governance.
Contact: h.felbek@toeniessteiner-studierendenforum.de
Vorläufiges Programm (Änderungen vorbehalten):
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1AF7QbkvUSi2pgcd_9kys1R8VKueksjJqNNfuzxL-oMs/mobilebasic
