India and Germany wooed each other on Friday with Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking to impress upon the German business community that “now is the most opportune time for you to make in India, and make for the world”.

Visiting German Chancellor Olaf Scholz echoed the sentiment, saying: “We need more cooperation, not less.”

The renewed focus comes as the India-Germany Strategic Partnership approaches its 25th anniversary, with Berlin committing to strengthen ties through two new policy documents: the “Focus on India” paper and the “India Skilled Labour Strategy”.

Briefing mediapersons on the visit, foreign secretary Vikram Misri said the Focus on India paper was only the second such country report that Germany had released about any nation. The India Skilled Labour Strategy is the first report brought out by the German government seeking to build on the migration and mobility partnership agreement that the country signed with India in 2022.

Germany informed India during Friday’s meeting of its intent to increase visas for skilled Indians from 20,000 a year to 90,000. Modi announced it while addressing the 18th Asia-Pacific Conference of German Businesses here.

The German cabinet adopted the India Skilled Labour Strategy in time for the inter-government consultations, also held on Friday, as German businesses urgently require four lakh additional skilled workers annually. The strategy document includes concrete measures to facilitate skilled immigration from India and envisages dismantling bureaucratic obstacles, digitalising visa procedures and expanding opportunities to learn German.

The two nations announced new cooperation in millets in Madagascar and Ethiopia under the framework of the trilateral partnership for cooperating in third countries.