India and Germany Advance Defence Cooperation with Strategic Partnership Agreements

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz's recent visit to India marked a significant shift in Indo-German relations, emphasizing enhanced defence cooperation and strategic partnership. Both leaders signed 19 agreements, including a Joint Declaration of Intent on defence industrial collaboration, signaling a move beyond traditional arms sales. Discussions on India's Project-75I for six conventional submarines with Germany are progressing positively but remain unfinalized. The visit also highlighted Germany's recalibrated defence export policies and a broader strategic realignment prioritizing India amid global geopolitical changes.