Delegation Visit
Strengthening Indo-German relations: Bavarian Minister-President Söder’s visit highlights key areas of cooperation
The main objectives of the visit were to strengthen economic and scientific cooperation, engage in high-level political talks and further advance the partnership with Karnataka. One of the key areas of cooperation between both States is the police partnership: Since 2016, there has been close cooperation between the Karnataka and Bavarian State Police, coordinated by the Hanns Seidel Foundation India. This partnership includes community-oriented policing, scenario-based training and programmes aimed at promoting women in law enforcement. Regular delegation visits and exchange programmes have helped solidify this cooperation sustainably at an institutional level.
From left to right: Mr. Florian Siekmann, MdL, Vice Chairman, Committee on Municipal Affairs, Internal Security and Sport, Bavarian State Parliament; Dr. G. Parameshwara, Home Minister of Karnataka; Dr. Alok Mohan, Director General & Inspector General of Police, Karnataka; Mr. Holger Dremel, MdL. During their visit to India in February 2025, the Committee for Municipal Affairs, Internal Security and Sport of the Bavarian State Parliament interacted with the Home Minister of Karnataka, Dr. G. Parameshwara, and the leadership of the Karnataka State Police. The programme, organised by HSF, highlighted key aspects of police cooperation as well as common challenges and priorities; © HSS
During the visit, Dr. Söder underscored India’s growing significance for Bavaria: “Karnataka, with its capital Bangalore, is the Silicon Valley of India – here Bavaria's Space Valley meets India's high-tech centre.” Economic ties between Bavaria and India are already well established, with over 300 joint ventures and an annual trade volume of €4.4 billion.
The visit was made at the invitation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who invited Dr. Söder during the G7 summit in Munich in 2022. It marked the first visit by a Bavarian Minister-President to India since Edmund Stoiber’s trip 18 years ago – a clear sign of the strategic importance of the German-Indian partnership.
During his meeting with the Indian Foreign Minister Dr. Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, both sides addressed prospects for expanding German arms exports to India, as well as closer cooperation in areas such as technology and science. The ongoing negotiations for a Free Trade Agreement between India and the European Union (EU) were also highlighted as a key opportunity for both sides.
The first day of the visit concluded with the signing of a new scholarship programme to support Indian students in Bavaria, particularly in future-oriented fields such as artificial intelligence and quantum research. In this regard, an agreement was signed with Dr. Jitendra Singh, India’s Union Minister for Science & Technology, Earth Sciences.
Although, Dr. Söder was unable to travel to Bangalore due to health reasons, the Bavarian delegation was further led by Dr. Florian Herrmann, the head of the Bavarian State Chancellery. In Bangalore, a Letter of Intent (LOI) was signed by Dr. Florian Herrmann and Dr. M. B. Patil, Minister for Large & Medium Industries and Infrastructure Development. The LOI entails the formation of working groups in areas of mutual interest, including skill development and the aerospace industry – an important area in which both states are leading and wish to intensify their cooperation.
In his remarks, Florian Herrmann also emphasized the importance of the ongoing police cooperation that is coordinated by the Hanns Seidel Foundation. It has been an active part of the partnership between both states since 2016.
The Minister-President’s visit coincided with a parallel business delegation visit to India, taking place from April 13 to 18, under the leadership of State Secretary Tobias Gotthardt (Free Voters party). This delegation focused on opportunities in the security and defence sectors, as well as the aerospace industry.
From left to right: Ms. Judith Weinberger-Singh, Resident Representative, HSS India; Mr. John Kottayil, Executive Director, Invest in Bavaria; Dr. Gunjan Krishna, IAS, Commissioner for Industrial Development and Director, Department of Industries & Commerce, Government of Karnataka, Mr. Priyank Kharge, Karnataka Minister of Electronics, IT & BT, Rural Development & Panchayat Raj; Dr. Florian Herrmann, Head of the Bavarian State Chancellery; Dr. M. B. Patil, Minister for Large & Medium Industries and Infrastructure Development; Mr. Achim Burkart, Consul General, German Consulate Bangalore; a state ministry representative; Michael Köller, Head of the Department for European Affairs and International Affairs, Bavarian State Chancellery; © German Consulate Bangalore