India, Germany to release roadmap on innovation, technology: Modi
At a meeting with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Friday that the two countries would be releasing a "roadmap on innovation and technology".
This would further strengthen collaboration in important areas, like Artificial Intelligence, semiconductors, and clean energy, the PM said at the plenary of the 7th Inter Governmental Consultations (IGC) with Germany in New Delhi.
This is the seventh IGC, that started in 2011. India is among a select group of countries with which Germany has such a mechanism.
During the last IGC in Berlin in 2022, India and Germany took important decisions for bilateral cooperation. "The past two years have seen encouraging progress in various areas of our strategic partnership," the PM said, adding that, “growing cooperation in areas such as defense, technology, energy, green and sustainable development has become a symbol of mutual trust.”
Modi welcomed the "skilled labour mobility strategy" released by Germany.
Yesterday, the visiting German delegation said the strategy was centred towards India and aimed at improving mobility of skilled workforce from India to Germany to address the severe shortage of workforce in Germany. This was the first country-specific strategy that Germany had unveiled in this regard.
Referring to the Indo-Pacific , Modi said: “There are serious concerns about the rule of law and freedom of navigation in the Indo-Pacific region.” Though he did not name China, the unstated reference was to Chinese hegemony in the South China Sea.
Germany had, in September, sent two warships to patrol the South China Sea, and for drills in the Straits of Taiwan. The warships also carried out a joint exercise with the Indian Navy in Indian waters yesterday, the Navy had said. The German warships would dock at Goa, when Chancellor Scholz visits there tomorrow.
Modi welcomed the "Focus on India strategy" released by the German Cabinet last week. It looks to ramp up investment of German companies in India.
Earlier, in the morning, Modi and Scholz participated in the Asia Pacific Conference of German Business and are scheduled to participate in the CEOs forum.
The two sides also released the green hydrogen roadmap. More than 2,000 German companies are active in India, as per the Indo-German Chamber of Commerce.
