German visas for skilled Indians to reach 90,000 a year: Modi

The number of working visas that Germany issues for skilled Indians per year will increase to 90,000, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced on Friday as he hosted Chancellor Olaf Scholz.

The German leader is on his third visit to India since last year, bringing several cabinet ministers for discussions between the leaders of the world's third- and fifth-largest economies.

"I am confident this will give a new momentum to Germany's growth," Modi said.

The two countries had decided to increase the number of visas granted annually to skilled Indian workers to 90,000, up from 20,000.

"When India's dynamics and Germany's precision meet, when Germany's engineering and India's innovation meet... a better future is decided for the Indo-Pacific and the entire world," Modi said.

India and Germany first signed a migration agreement two years ago to facilitate mobility for professionals and students.

Berlin has also pledged to make its visa application process less bureaucratic and to improve the recognition of Indian professional qualifications in Germany.

Scholz arrived in India late on Thursday, following on from a state visit in February 2023 and the G20 summit in New Delhi later that year.

India's foreign ministry said this week that the partnership between both countries had "deepened" over the years.

"In this world we need friends and allies -- just like India and Germany," Scholz said on social media platform X.

Scholz's visit is also expected to discuss India's ambitious programme to scale up production of "green hydrogen", a clean energy source in demand in Germany as Russian oil and gas supplies have shrunk and Berlin seeks to meet its climate goals.