German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who is on a three day visit to India, said the defense co-operation between the countries would be based on a broad foundation.
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Earlier, Modi tweeted: “Namaste Chancellor Merkel! I look forward to fruitful discussions & strengthening India-Germany ties”.
During the almost two-hour long visit, the two leaders, accompanied by a high-level German delegation, walked through the Bosch Innovation Center and the vocational training centre, enquiring about the company’s research, engineering, and vocational education activities in India.
On his “Digital India” initiative, the prime minister said the country is on the threshold of a big information technology revolution “where technology will be leveraged to meet aspirations of 1.25 billion citizens”. During her meeting with PM Modi, Merkel is expected to convey the concerns of German industries in proceeding with planned investments in India.
Germany signed 18 deals with India’s government, including on renewable energy and fast-tracking approvals for German companies to operate in India.
The two countries, she said, had also chose to enhance cooperation in the fields of science and technology.
The pacts also covered measures for improving the investment climate in India under which a separate body would be set up with the task to facilitate investment by German firms in India and weed out obstacles faced by them in doing business here.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday said India is a “bright spot” in global economic slowdown and assured foreign investors of favourable business conditions, including strong intellectual property rights protection. “I am convinced that the Indo-German Intergovernmental Consultations will be a resounding success”.
Especially solar energy R&D, manufacturing and deployment has great potential to increase energy access, foster economic development and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, it added.
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The leaders met in April on Modi´s first official visit to Germany, where the Indian premier sought more investment as he ramps up his drive to make India a manufacturing hub. Modi and Merkel are scheduled to address the event and also participate in a working lunch with high-ranking business leaders from India and Germany. “To tap the energy fully, we have launched the Start up India Campaign”, the Prime Minister said.
