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Germany is running out of allies — Can India help?

January 16, 2026

With Germany and India both shaken by Trump 2.0, they’re now trying to deepen ties from business to defense – with Friedrich Merz greeted to much fanfare by Narendra Modi in the Indian Prime Minister’s home city. But is this for real, or are the good vibes just for show? Find out in this edition of Berlin Briefing with Richard Walker, Biresh Banerjee, Michaela Küfner, and Sandra Petersmann.

https://p.dw.com/p/56vX2

CHAPTERS:

00:00 Intro 

01:02 Merz in India 

03:21 Modi’s hometown 

06:26 Competing for attention 

07:10 Modi & Merz 

08:40 Shifting strategy 

10:37 What India wants  

12:14 What Germany wants  

15:27 EU-India trade deal 

16:35 Sticking points 

18:52 Steel & cars 

23:47 Defense deals 

25:15 Trust issues 

27:06 Breakthrough? 

30:38 Compartmentalization 

32:57 A new realism 

38:18 Populism  

42:59 Predictions 

 

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DW Berlin Briefing

From Trump's victory, the German government collapse, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine to evolving European security dynamics, this video podcast explores how these events impact Germany and the wider region.