Hereditary Prince Alois, the Acting Head of State of the Principality of Liechtenstein, has arrived in India on a State visit at the invitation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, underscoring the growing momentum in relations between the two countries.

Accompanying Prince Alois are Hereditary Princess Sophie, a senior official delegation and a business delegation comprising leading industry figures, highlighting the strong emphasis being placed on strengthening economic and commercial engagement alongside diplomatic cooperation.

The visiting delegation landed in Mumbai before travelling onwards to Vadodara, where the first engagements of the visit are scheduled to take place. Following those programmes, the delegation will proceed to New Delhi to begin the principal diplomatic phase of the visit.

A packed schedule of high-level engagements awaits the Liechtenstein delegation in the national capital. The official programme includes a ceremonial reception at Rashtrapati Bhavan and a wreath-laying ceremony at Rajghat, reflecting the importance India has attached to the visit.

Prince Alois is also scheduled to hold bilateral discussions with Prime Minister Narendra Modi at Hyderabad House. The talks are expected to focus on strengthening cooperation in areas such as trade, investment, innovation, technology and broader economic engagement, while also providing an opportunity to exchange views on regional and global developments.

Several senior members of the Indian government are due to meet the visiting dignitary during the course of the visit. External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship Jayant Chaudhary are scheduled to call on Prince Alois.

The day's diplomatic engagements will culminate with a meeting between Prince Alois and President Droupadi Murmu at Rashtrapati Bhavan, further highlighting the significance of the State visit.

The visit is expected to serve as an important platform for advancing bilateral ties, expanding trade and investment opportunities, and enhancing economic cooperation between India and the European principality. The delegation is scheduled to conclude its visit and depart on Wednesday afternoon.

This marks Prince Alois's second visit to India in 2026. Earlier this year, he travelled to New Delhi to participate in the AI Impact Summit, where he also held discussions with Prime Minister Modi on the sidelines of the event.

Prince Alois is no stranger to India, having previously visited the country in 2010 and again in 2018. His repeated visits reflect the steadily expanding engagement between the two nations over the past decade and a half.

India and Liechtenstein established diplomatic relations in 1993, with India's Ambassador to Switzerland concurrently accredited to the Principality of Liechtenstein. The year 2023 marked the 30th anniversary of diplomatic relations, a milestone that both countries used to reaffirm their commitment to closer cooperation.

The relationship has gained fresh strategic and economic relevance following the operationalisation of the India-European Free Trade Association (EFTA) Trade and Economic Partnership Agreement in 2025. As a member of EFTA alongside Switzerland, Norway and Iceland, Liechtenstein is expected to benefit from deeper trade and investment linkages with India under the framework.

Against this backdrop, Prince Alois's visit is being viewed as a significant step towards broadening collaboration in areas ranging from commerce and innovation to people-to-people exchanges, while opening new avenues for partnership between India and Liechtenstein in the years ahead.

ANI