Prime Minister Narendra Modi and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on January 12 took part in the International Kite Festival 2026 at Ahmedabad’s Sabarmati Riverfront, where the two leaders were seen flying a kite featuring Lord Hanuman. The moment reflected the cultural connect underscoring India–Germany relations.
Merz’s participation in the festival comes during his first official visit to India, adding diplomatic weight to the annual cultural event. Earlier in the day, the Prime Minister and the German Chancellor jointly inaugurated the festival and interacted with participants. Visuals from the venue showed both leaders engaging with kite flyers amid the colourful celebrations.
The three-day International Kite Festival, held ahead of Makar Sankranti, will conclude on January 14. This year’s edition has drawn 135 international kite flyers from 50 countries, along with 65 participants from across India and 871 local flyers from Gujarat, officials said.
Before attending the festival, Prime Minister Modi welcomed Chancellor Merz at the Sabarmati Ashram in Ahmedabad. The two leaders paid floral tributes to Mahatma Gandhi, and Merz signed the visitors’ book at the Ashram.
Chancellor Merz arrived in India earlier on Monday for a two-day official visit from January 12 to 13 at the invitation of PM Modi. He was received at the airport by Gujarat Governor Acharya Devvrat, according to the Ministry of External Affairs.
During the visit, the leaders are scheduled to hold bilateral talks at Mahatma Mandir in Gandhinagar. The discussions will review progress in the India–Germany Strategic Partnership, which recently completed 25 years, and are expected to focus on cooperation in areas such as trade and investment, technology, education, skilling and mobility, defence and security, science and innovation, green and sustainable development, and people-to-people ties.
The visit also coincides with the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations between India and Germany. On January 13, Chancellor Merz is set to visit Bosch and the Centre for Nano Science and Engineering (CeNSE) before departing for Germany.
Prime Minister Modi and Chancellor Merz last met on the sidelines of the G7 Summit in Canada, where they agreed to further expand bilateral cooperation. The visit comes ahead of the India–EU Summit scheduled for January 27.