The Centre for Social and Economic Progress (CSEP) is delighted to invite you to a seminar titled “Germany and India in a New World” featuring a conversation between H.E. Philipp Ackermann, Ambassador of Germany to India and Constantino Xavier, Senior Fellow, CSEP.

The seminar will be held on Wednesday, July 22, 2026, from 11:00 am to 12:30 pm (IST) at the CSEP Auditorium, 6, Dr Jose P Rizal Marg, Chanakyapuri, New Delhi – 110021.

Please note that this is an in-person event only. If you are in Delhi on the day, we invite you to join us for what promises to be a thought-provoking discussion. The event will be available on the CSEP website and YouTube channel upon completion.

Register here to attend

About the event

2026 marks the 25th anniversary of the India-Germany Strategic Partnership. The relationship has gained traction, depth and scope in recent years, reflected in Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s visit last January following a record number of cabinet visits from Berlin. As Ambassador Ackermann finishes his stint in New Delhi, CSEP will host him for a one-on-one conversation with Constantino Xavier, Senior Fellow. They will review the past, present and future of India-Germany relations across different sectors and also reflect on his ambassadorial experiences since 2022: rising political engagements, soaring economic and business ties with over 50 billion Euros in annual trade, the evolving climate and energy partnership, and his personal engagements across Bharat – including his Naatu Naatu flash mob and mango explorations. Please join us for this conversation to examine India-Germany relations in a rapidly changing world and to bid adieu to Ambassador Ackermann.

Speakers

Ambassador Philipp Ackermann

Ambassador Philipp Ackermann studied art history and economics in Bonn, Heidelberg and Utrecht, and received his doctorate in art history in 1993. That same year he joined the German Foreign Service. His overseas postings include Rabat (Morocco) and New York (German mission to the UN). From 2006 to 2007, he headed the German Provincial Reconstruction Team in Kunduz, Afghanistan. Between 2007 and 2010, he served as political counsellor in New Delhi (India). From 2010 to 2014 he held the position as Head of Task Force Afghanistan-Pakistan in the Federal Foreign Office and as Deputy Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan. Before being assigned to his current job, he was Director General for Africa, Latin America, Near and Middle East at the Federal Foreign Office for five years.

Constantino Xavier

Constantino Xavier is a Senior Fellow at the Centre for Social and Economic Progress (CSEP), New Delhi, where he directs the program in Foreign Policy and Security Studies. He is also a non-resident fellow at the Brookings Institution and visiting professor at Ashoka University. His research expertise is on India’s role as a regional power and his broader work explores how India navigates the geopolitics of a changing regional and global order by balancing national security interests and growing economic interdependence. At CSEP he is currently leading research projects on India’s connectivity partnerships, climate cooperation, critical minerals security and China’s role in South Asia.

All content reflects the individual views of the speakers. The Centre for Social and Economic Progress (CSEP) does not hold an institutional view on any subject.

Please contact Gurmeet Kaur at GKaur@csep.org for general queries and Ayesha Manocha at AManocha@csep.org for media queries.