Photo Credit: IIM Amritsar
The Indian Institute of Management Amritsar hosted German parliamentarian Jürgen Hardt for a discussion on the future of India–Germany relations, bringing bilateral foreign policy, security cooperation and economic engagement into focus.
The session, titled “Indo-German Relations: Way Ahead,” was held at the institute on August 17, 2026. It was attended by IIM Amritsar students and faculty members, as well as a visiting German delegation and representatives of the India office of the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung (KAS).
Minister Hardt is a member of the German Bundestag and foreign policy spokesperson for the CDU/CSU parliamentary group. He has served in the German Parliament since 2009 and is also a deputy member of the Bundestag’s Committee on European Union Affairs and Defence Committee.
Foreign policy, security and business in focus
The discussion examined the evolving India–Germany partnership across three principal areas: foreign policy, security and defence, and business relations.
Participants considered the opportunities and challenges influencing bilateral engagement as India and Germany seek to expand cooperation amid changing geopolitical and economic conditions.
The session also included a question-and-answer segment in which students sought Minister Hardt’s views on contemporary foreign policy developments, defence and security cooperation, and the prospects for stronger commercial ties between the two countries.
Minister Hardt, in a social-media post following the engagement, highlighted the importance of exchanges between the two countries, particularly engagement involving younger generations.
Minister Hardt meets External Affairs Minister Jaishankar
The IIM Amritsar interaction followed Hardt’s meeting with External Affairs Minister Dr S. Jaishankar in New Delhi on August 14.
Their conversation covered recent developments concerning the Gulf region, wider West Asia and the war in Ukraine, along with the India–Germany Strategic Partnership. Germany’s new Ambassador to India, Jasper Wieck, was also present at the meeting.
The talks placed Minister Hardt’s engagement at IIM Amritsar within the broader context of his visit to India, which included discussions with policymakers as well as interaction with students and academics.
German and KAS delegation attends
The visiting delegation included Franz Xaver Mauerer, Senior Foreign Policy Adviser to the CDU/CSU parliamentary group in the Bundestag; David Merkle, Interim Director of the KAS India Office; Ashish Gupta, Head of Programmes at KAS India; and Kanishk Vij, Programmes Officer at KAS India.
IIM Amritsar was represented by Director Professor Samir K. Srivastava; Dean of Academics and Programmes Dr Sujit R. Jagadale; Dean of Research and Strategic Initiatives Dr Gurbir Singh; and other faculty members.
The programme concluded with Professor Srivastava felicitating Minister Hardt and the visiting delegates.
The interaction added an academic and youth-engagement dimension to the wider India–Germany dialogue, allowing management students to discuss directly the political, security and economic factors shaping the bilateral partnership.
