India and Germany signed 18 MoUs in various sector including renewable energy, skill development and culture. The MoUs were signed at the end of third Indo-German Inter-governmental Consultations in New Delhi. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and German Chancellor Angela Merkel co-chaired the meeting.
The first Indo-German Inter-governmental Consultations took place in India in 2011 and in 2013, Germany hosted the second round. Since taking up this format of cooperation, Indo-German relations have been on a steady upswing.
India and Germany signed a deal to fast-track business approvals, an arrangement to make it easier for German companies to operate in Asia's third largest economy that was announced as Chancellor Angela Merkel visited New Delhi.
The fast-track approvals process will ensure that German firms will have a single point of contact in the Indian administration, helping them to navigate a web of red tape that often thwarts business initiative.
The agreement is the first of its kind and comes as Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeks to attract foreign investment in support of his "Make in India" drive to boost industrial investment and create skilled jobs.
Here is a list of MoUs signed by India and Germany.
| Promotion of German as a foreign language in India and the promotion of modern Indian languages in Germany. | Summary record of the negotiations on development cooperation. |
| Indo-German solar energy partnership. | Skill development, and vocational education and training. |
| Security cooperation. | Aviation security. |
| Disaster management | Cooperation in agricultural studies |
| Supporting participation of young Indian scientists in natural sciences for the Lindau Nobel Laureate Meetings. | Extension of the tenure of the Indo-German Science and Technology Centre (IGSTC). |
| Indo-German Partnerships in higher education (IGP). | Plant protection products |
| Development of cooperation in the field of railways. | Cooperation in the field of manufacturing. |
| Setting up a fast-track system for German companies in India. | Cooperation in the field of advanced training of corporate executives and junior executives from India. |
| Cooperation in food safety between the Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BFR) and the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI). | Cooperation in food safety between the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) and the Federal Office of Consumer Protection and Food Safety (BVL). |
