From Ajay Kaul
Berlin

Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived here today from Hannover on the second leg of his maiden visit to Germany and will hold wide-ranging talks with Chancellor Angela Merkel tomorrow, focussing on how the tech-giant can work with India in its developmental agenda.

The Prime Minister arrived in the German capital after jointly inaugurating the India Pavillion at the Hannover Fair with Merkel.

Soon after he landed here, Modi visited a Siemens Technical Academy.

Modi and Merkel will have detailed talks tomorrow with the focus on how Germany can work with India in its developmental agenda.

Modi, in an oped in a German daily, said Germany enjoys a “special place” in India’s quest for international collaborations and that the country’s “needs can become business opportunities for German industry.”

“We share a strategic partnership based on our common values. India desires a mutually beneficial partnership for growth and prosperity with Germany. Our priorities fit well with Germany’s expertise,” he said.

During his talks, Modi will seek Germany’s support for his ‘Make in India’ campaign launched last year to promote economic growth and to create millions of new jobs by boosting manufacturing and attracting investments.

Merkel will also host a lunch in honour of the visiting Indian prime minister, who is on a three-nation tour. He visited France earlier and will head to Canada from here.

Germany is India’s largest trading partner in the EU and one of the top ten global trading partners.

The overall exchange of goods and services between the two countries was valued at around around 15.96 billion euros last year, a drop of 1.14 billion euros from the level of 16.10 billion euros registered in 2013.

While India’s exports to Germany rose marginally to 7.03 billion euros?in 2014, its German imports dropped to 8.92 billion euros from 9.19 euros in the previous year, according to official German estimates.

Germany and India have been engaged in a “strategic partnership” since 2001 and this was further strengthened by launching the inter-governmental consultations in 2011.

India is one of the few countries with which Germany holds inter-governmental consultations outside the EU.

India hosted the first round of consultations in New Delhi in 2011 while the second was held in Berlin in 2013.

The third meeting of IGC is expected to take place in India in the second half of this year.

Germany is the 8th largest foreign investor in India. Its foreign direct investments in India during January-November 2014 was valued at around USD 995.7 million.

More than 1,600 Indo-German collaborations and around 600 Indo-German joint ventures are currently in operation.

– PTI