This article covers cultural links between India and Germany, cultural institutions and events, tourism, higher education, the framework for skilled migration, sister-state and sister-city ties, and the Indian community in Germany. It is based on the MEA bilateral brief of June 2026, and figures are as of that brief.
Cultural and intellectual links
According to the MEA brief of June 2026, India and Germany have a long-standing history of cultural and intellectual exchange across literature, film, music, academia, yoga and Ayurveda. The brief states that Nobel Laureate Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore is widely credited with first establishing an important cultural bridge between the two countries through his visits to Germany in 1921, 1926 and 1930.
In May 2024, the Tagore Centre partnered with the Duisburg Philharmonic to host a series of concerts marking 30 years of the Tagore Centre in Germany. The series also marked the centenary of Austrian composer Alexander Zemlinsky's Lyrical Symphony, which was based on Tagore's poems.
The brief traces the popularity of Indian films in Germany back to the actor and director Himanshu Rai, who collaborated with German director Franz Osten on several silent films. The Indian film festivals held annually in Berlin and Stuttgart draw on this tradition.
Cultural events
The first Indian Film Festival organised by the Embassy was held in January 2025, and the brief describes it as one of the largest non-commercial Indian film festivals abroad. In June 2025, the Mission and the Tagore Centre hosted performances of Indian Swan Lake, which blended Odissi, ballet and live orchestra and reimagined Swan Lake through the story of Nala & Damayanti from the Mahabharata. The production was created by Werner Ehrhardt and choreographed by Aruna Mohanty.
On 16 August 2025, the Mission and the Tagore Centre organised a Bharat Day Parade in central Berlin, featuring cultural performances and up to 5000 persons marching.
The brief states that yoga continues to be immensely popular amongst Germans, with yoga schools, institutes and studios present in all major cities. The Mission and the Tagore Centre conducted a series of 11 events to mark the 11th IDY, including yoga sessions on boats on Wannsee Lake, a celebration on Binz beach and sessions in front of landmarks such as the Brandenburg Gate, the Reichstag and the East Side Gallery. An online photo competition was also organised to promote yoga in Germany.
The visually-impaired German singer Cass Mae, known for her renditions of Indian songs and bhajans in multiple languages, was first recognised by PM Narendra Modi in his podcast, Mann ki Baat. The Indian Ambassador met her on 05 August 2025 in the Mission premises.
Heritage and recognition
A nearly life-sized replica of the Sanchi Stupa, 10m high and 6m wide, has been installed outside the Humboldt Forum in the Museum District of Berlin. Craftsmen from India worked alongside German architects and engineers on the replica.
In January 2026, German ethnomusicologist Dr Lars-Christian Koch, who has written extensively on Buddhist music and Indian culture, was awarded the Padma Shri award.
Cultural institutions and Ayurveda
The Indo-German Society (DIG) in Germany promotes intercultural understanding through its network of around 20 Chapters, and every year organises the DIG Chain tour, during which an ICCR-sponsored cultural troupe tours between 8-9 German cities.
An MoU to establish the ICCR Chair of Indian Music at the Centre for World Music, University of Hildesheim, was signed in March 2024. The brief adds that ICCR's academic and distinguished visitors' programmes and scholarship and fellowship schemes encourage cooperation in culture, media, entertainment and education.
Several research institutions and hospitals in Germany are working to increase awareness of Ayurveda and to have it acknowledged as a system of complementary medicine in Germany, through international exchanges, symposiums, research projects and clinical trials. Ayurveda events hosted by the Mission have drawn medical professionals and wellness enthusiasts.
Tourism
The Union Tourism Minister visited Berlin to attend events held around ITB Berlin 2026 (3-5 March). He took part in the UN Tourism Ministers' Summit, inaugurated the "Incredible India Pavilion" at ITB Berlin 2026 and held B2B meetings.
On the sidelines, he met Christoph Ploß, Federal Government Commissioner for Tourism, and took part in an evening interaction with the German Association of Tour Operators hosted by Ambassador Ajit Gupte at the Embassy of India in Berlin.
Indian students and higher education
As of the brief, there are around 60,000 Indian students studying in Germany, a number which the brief says has tripled in the last 5 years. Indian students are the largest cohort of international students in German universities, and many are pursuing Master and Doctoral studies in Science, Engineering and Technology.
The German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) facilitates joint research, training and exchange of young scientists and research scholars. The Indo-German Partnership in Higher Education was signed at the 3rd IGC between India's Ministry of Education and Germany's Federal Ministry for Education and Research (BMBF), with UGC and DAAD as implementing partners. The MoU between DAAD and UGC for the second phase of the programme (2020-24) was signed during the 5th IGC in November 2019.
Under the Indo-German Programme (IGP) on Higher Education, MoUs signed on 1 November 2019 in New Delhi included a funding commitment of 3.5 million EUR per side for 4 years. In June 2020, 9 partnerships were selected for the funding period 2020-2024.
Other instruments of faculty exchange and student mobility include:
- GIAN (Global Initiative of Academic Networks) of the Ministry of Education, under which 105 courses have been approved from Germany
- Visiting Advanced Joint Research (VAJRA) from DST
- Scheme for Promotion of Academic and Research Collaboration (SPARC) from the Ministry of Education
- New Passage to India, from the German side
Universities in the two countries have also signed MoUs for joint and dual degree programmes. At present, five such programmes based on seven MoUs have been operationalised, and IIT Roorkee and the University of Potsdam formalised a collaboration in 2025 on clean energy, materials science and student exchange.
Skilled migration and mobility
The Indo-German Agreement on a Comprehensive Migration and Mobility Partnership (MMPA), signed on 5 December 2022, entered into force on 7 March 2023. The brief describes it as the first comprehensive migration agreement of its kind. The second meeting of the MMPA and the first meeting of the Sub-Committee on Labour Migration were held in Berlin on 8 April 2025 and 9 April 2025 respectively, and a 2nd meeting of the Sub-Committee on Labour Migration was held in November 2025 in hybrid mode.
On 16 October 2024, the German Government released a "Skilled Labour Strategy: India". India is the first country for which Germany has issued such a strategy, which covers targeted outreach, better placement and matching of Indian skilled workers with companies in Germany, support for learning German in India and streamlining the recognition of Indian qualifications.
Sister states and cities
The States of Karnataka and Bavaria, Maharashtra and Baden-Württemberg, and the cities of Mumbai and Stuttgart have twinning arrangements. Twin city relations between Coimbatore and Esslingen were established in 2016, and Aurangabad and Ingolstadt (Bavaria) signed a Letter of Intent for a Sister City Partnership in April 2022.
The brief states that North Rhine Westphalia has close relations with West Bengal. Karnataka and Berlin renewed a JDI in July 2025 on startups, innovation and talent exchange. Pune and the city-state of Bremen have an informal cooperation agreement, and Himachal Pradesh and Rhineland Palatinate are discussing closer cooperation.
The Indian community
According to the brief, there are close to 3,22,000 Indian passport holders and Indian-origin people in Germany, a figure that includes the students mentioned above. The diaspora mainly consists of professionals, researchers and scientists, business people, nurses and students. The brief notes a significant increase in the last few years in the number of qualified Indian professionals in IT, banking and finance.