Prince Rahim Aga Khan V: A Landmark Diplomatic Journey to India

Prince Rahim Aga Khan V, the spiritual leader of the Shia Ismaili Muslims, will visit India to foster relations and inspect development projects operated by the Aga Khan Development Network. This visit marks his first since becoming the 50th hereditary Imam, continuing a historic legacy of spiritual leadership.

Prince Rahim Aga Khan V, the spiritual leader of Shia Ismaili Muslims and Chair of the Aga Khan Development Network, is on a significant diplomatic tour in India starting Wednesday, invited by Vice President CP Radhakrishnan. His week-long itinerary includes high-level meetings with Indian President Droupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Prince Rahim plans discourse with Home Minister Amit Shah and External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, aside from visiting Ahmedabad, Mumbai, and Hyderabad to review the Aga Khan Development Network's community and developmental initiatives. Notably, this visit is his first since ascending as the 50th Imam of the Ismaili community after his father's death in 2025.

Representing a legacy spanning 14 centuries with an Ismaili population of nearly 12 to 15 million worldwide, Prince Rahim balances spiritual leadership with oversight roles within the Aga Khan Development Network, continuing a tradition of active community involvement. His father, Prince Karim Aga Khan IV, received the Padma Vibhushan in 2015 for his developmental contributions.