Liechtenstein's Acting Head of State Hereditary Prince Alois arrives in Mumbai on State visit to India

The Acting Head of State of the Principality of Liechtenstein, Hereditary Prince Alois, arrived in Mumbai on a State visit to India at the invitation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The Acting Head of State of the Principality of Liechtenstein, Hereditary Prince Alois, arrived in Mumbai on a State visit to India at the invitation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He is accompanied on the visit by his spouse, Hereditary Princess Sophie, along with a high-level official delegation and a business delegation comprising top industry leaders.

According to the MEA, Prince Alois, accompanied by his spouse, Hereditary Princess Sophie, landed in Mumbai before departing early Monday morning for Vadodara. Following their engagements in Vadodara, the delegation will emplane for New Delhi, arriving at Air Force Station Palam on Monday afternoon to commence the main diplomatic leg of the visit.

The official itinerary for Tuesday begins with a formal ceremonial reception at Rashtrapati Bhavan, followed by a wreath-laying ceremony at Rajghat. High-level diplomatic engagements will take place throughout the day, including bilateral talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi at Hyderabad House. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, Minister of Finance Nirmala Sitharaman, and Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship Jayant Chaudhary are scheduled to call on Prince Alois at Hotel Taj Mahal. The day's events will conclude with a meeting with President Droupadi Murmu at Rashtrapati Bhavan, the MEA stated.

The state visit, which marks a major engagement to strengthen bilateral ties, trade, and economic cooperation, will conclude with the delegation's departure on Wednesday afternoon, the Ministry of External Affairs confirmed. This will be Prince Alois's second visit to India in 2026. He had earlier visited New Delhi in February to attend the Al Impact Summit. He had also visited India in 2010 and 2018.

At the Hyderabad House, Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a bilateral meeting with Prince Alois, Hereditary Prince of Liechtenstein, on the sidelines of the Al Impact Summit 2026. India and the Principality of Liechtenstein established diplomatic relations in 1993 with the Indian Ambassador to Switzerland concurrently accredited as Ambassador to the Principality. The year 2023 marked the 30th anniversary of the establishment of bilateral diplomatic relations, as per an official statement by the Ministry of External Affairs.

The visit comes amid growing engagement between India and Liechtenstein, particularly following the operationalisation of the India-European Free Trade Association (EFTA) Trade and Economic Partnership Agreement in 2025. (ANI)