President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. will undertake a state visit to the Republic of India from August 4 to 8, 2025, upon the invitation of Indian Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi.
The President’s itinerary includes key engagements in New Delhi and Bangalore.
In a press briefing on Friday, Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) Assistant Secretary Evangeline T. Ong Jimenez-Ducrocq said the invitation was formally conveyed to President Marcos during the Philippine Independence Day last year.
The state visit forms part of the year-long commemoration of the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the Philippines and India, which were established in November 1949.
“This visit aims to strengthen the Philippines-India partnership further, to proactively engage India in all aspects of the relations and seize opportunities for greater security, economic, science and technology, and people-to-people cooperation,” Jimenez-Ducrocq said.
“We recognize the economic and strategic potentials of India, and we hope to open up possibilities for the future,” Jimenez-Ducrocq added.
The President will be accompanied by a high-level delegation that includes Foreign Affairs Secretary Maria Theresa Lazaro, Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr., Trade and Industry Secretary Christina Roque, and Special Assistant to the President for Investment and Economic Affairs Frederick Go.
President Marcos will arrive in New Delhi in the afternoon of August 4 and will immediately meet with the Filipino community in India. Jimenez-Ducrocq said around 200 Filipinos, primarily based in New Delhi, are expected to attend.
Of the 1,356 registered Filipinos in India, many are professionals or are married to Indian nationals, according to the DFA.
On August 5, President Marcos will hold meetings with Her Excellency President Droupadi Murmu, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) President and Minister of Health and Family Welfare Jagat Prakash Nadda.
In the succeeding days, the President will participate in business forums and media engagements, including a foreign policy address at the Observer Research Foundation.
He will also hold business meetings in New Delhi and in Bangalore, India’s renowned tech and innovation hub dubbed “Silicon Valley of India.”
Jimenez-Ducrocq disclosed that several Indian CEOs have requested to meet with the President, with a number of them already in advanced stages of preparing to invest in the Philippines.
President Marcos’ state visit will culminate in Bangalore with a high-level business forum and a “Kapihan with the Media” before he departs for Manila. | PND
