This article covers the establishment of diplomatic relations between India and Austria, visits and meetings at the level of heads of state and government, contacts between foreign ministers, other ministerial visits and parliamentary exchanges. It is based on the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) bilateral brief of April 2026. The agreements in force between the two countries are described by subject in the other articles of this guide.

Establishment of relations

According to the MEA brief of April 2026, diplomatic relations between India and Austria were established on 10 November 1949. Austrian Foreign Minister Dr. Karin Kneissl visited India on 25 and 26 February 2019 to mark the 70th anniversary of diplomatic relations.

The Prime Minister's visit, July 2024

The Prime Minister of India visited Austria on 9 and 10 July 2024. The brief notes that the visit coincided with 75 years of the establishment of diplomatic relations. The Prime Minister held talks with President Alexander Van der Bellen and Chancellor Karl Nehammer, and a Joint Statement on 'Enhanced India-Austria Partnership' was issued.

Other parts of the programme, a business meeting and meetings with prominent Austrians and the Indian community, are covered in the trade and culture articles of this guide.

Other meetings between leaders

The Prime Minister met the then Austrian Chancellor, H.E. Mr. Alexander Schallenberg, on 30 October 2021 on the sidelines of COP-26 in Glasgow. He had a telephone conversation with President H.E. Dr. Alexander Van der Bellen on 26 May 2020.

Austrian Chancellor Christian Kern met the Prime Minister for a bilateral meeting in St. Petersburg on 2 June 2017, on the sidelines of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF).

Federal Chancellor Dr. Christian Stocker paid an Official Visit to India from 14-17 April 2026, held talks with the Prime Minister in New Delhi and called on the President. The Joint Statement issued during the visit describes it as the first visit of an Austrian Chancellor to India in 42 years.

State visits and earlier high-level visits

President Pratibha Devisingh Patil paid a State visit to Austria from 4 to 7 October 2011. The first State Visit from India to Austria was paid by President K.R. Narayanan in November 1999. It was reciprocated by the Austrian President, Dr. Heinz Fischer, in February 2005.

Prime Minister Indira Gandhi visited Austria in 1983, and the visit was reciprocated by Austrian Chancellor Fred Sinowatz in 1984.

Foreign ministers

External Affairs Minister (EAM) Dr. S. Jaishankar visited Austria from 31 December 2022 to 3 January 2023. Austrian Foreign Minister Mr. Alexander Schallenberg visited India from 19 to 21 March 2022.

The brief records frequent meetings between the two foreign ministers at international events:

  • In 2022: in Munich on 18 February, in Bratislava on 2 June (GLOBSEC Forum) and in New York on 20 September (UN General Assembly).
  • In 2023: in Stockholm (EU-Indo Pacific Ministerial forum) and in New York (78th Session of UNGA).
  • In 2025 and 2026: the EAM met the Federal Minister for European and International Affairs, Ms. Beate Meinl-Reisinger, on the sidelines of the UNGA on 26 September 2025 and of the Munich Security Conference on 14 February 2026. He also had a telephone conversation with her on 14 May 2025.

Ministers at multilateral meetings

Several Indian ministers have visited Vienna for multilateral meetings. Gen (retd.) V.K. Singh, Minister of State for External Affairs, attended the UN Conference on Landlocked Developing Countries (LLDC) in November 2014. Minister of State for External Affairs Smt. Preneet Kaur led the Indian delegation at the 5th Global Forum of the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC) in Vienna in February 2013.

In the other direction, Dr. Reinhold Lopatka, State Secretary in the Austrian Foreign Ministry, led the Austrian delegation to the 11th Asia-Europe Foreign Ministers' Meeting (ASEM-FMM) in New Delhi on 11 and 12 November 2013. Minister of State for External Affairs & Culture Smt. Meenakshi Lekhi transited through Austria on 2 December 2023, during her visit to Budapest and Bulgaria from 29 November to 1 December 2023.

Visits by Indian ministers for energy, finance, transport and other sectoral purposes are described in the trade and cooperation articles of this guide.

Parliamentary exchanges

An Austrian Parliamentary Delegation led by the President of the Austrian National Council, Mr. Wolfgang Sobotka, and including the President of the Federal Council, Ms. Christine Schwarz-Fuchs, visited India from 12 to 16 March 2022.

A Parliamentary delegation from India led by the Speaker of the Lok Sabha, Shri Om Birla, and including the Deputy Chairman of the Rajya Sabha, visited Vienna from 7 to 10 September 2021.

Earlier, Lok Sabha Speaker Smt. Meira Kumar led a Parliamentary delegation to Austria in 2009. The brief also records that the President of the National Council of the Austrian Parliament, Mrs. Barbara Prammer, visited in 2011 and in 2012 to attend the Seventh meeting of Women Speakers of Parliament on the topic of 'Gender Aware Parliaments'.