German Chancellor visits Bosch & CeNSE in Bengaluru

Bengaluru, Jan 13 (PTI) German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on Tuesday visited the India headquarters of German tech major Bosch at Adugodi and CeNSE here.

He is on a two-day official visit to India.

Merz was received at the Kempegowda International Airport by Karnataka Minister for Large & Medium Industries M B Patil and senior government officials.

Bosch said Merz's visit to its campus here underscored the deep economic and technological ties between India and Germany in the areas of mobility, manufacturing and innovation. The visit also reinforced the long-standing partnership between the two countries, it said.

Guruprasad Mudlapur, President of the Bosch Group in India and Managing Director of Bosch Limited, hosted the delegation at the company's headquarters, showcasing innovations developed in the region, according to a press release.

"We feel honoured to welcome the esteemed Federal Chancellor, Friedrich Merz, to the Bosch India campus. His presence not only affirms Bosch's enduring legacy, but also reinforces India's position as a global hub of technological innovation and economic growth," Mudlapur said.

"This is a moment of immense pride for Bosch and a testament to the partnership between our nations," he added.

Merz, then also visited the Centre for Nano Science and Engineering (CeNSE) at the renowned Indian Institute of Science, before emplaning from Bengaluru, official sources said.

This was Merz's first trip to Asia as the German chancellor.

Merz on Monday held talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Ahmedabad, following which the two sides inked 19 pacts, including a roadmap for defence industrial collaboration and another on expanding cooperation in the higher education sector. A separate pact was inked on engagement in the telecommunications sector.

Modi and Merz visited the Sabarmati Ashram in Ahmedabad on Monday morning and paid homage to Mahatma Gandhi, and later inaugurated Gujarat's famous kite festival. The German Chancellor also made a trip to Adalaj Ni Vav, an iconic stepwell near Gandhinagar city.

Meanwhile, opposition BJP in Karnataka on Tuesday took a dig at Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and his deputy D K Shivakumar for not receiving Merz during his visit to the city.

The party alleged that the Congress leaders instead chose to be in Mysuru to receive senior party leader Rahul Gandhi, who was transiting to neighbouring Tamil Nadu.

Accusing the Congress government of "misplaced priorities and missed opportunities", Leader of the Opposition in the State Assembly R Ashoka said welcoming the head of government from one of the world's strongest economies had been relegated to the back seat, while "political loyalty and high command pleasing" were given precedence over Karnataka's global standing. PTI KSU KH