The NDTV World Summit 2025, to be held on October 17-18 in New Delhi, will bring together influential voices from across the globe. Among the key speakers will be Philipp Ackermann, German Ambassador to India, who will join a high-level panel on trading geopolitics alongside other senior diplomats.
Meet Philipp Ackermann
Philipp Ackermann is a German diplomat and the current Ambassador of Germany to India (since 2022), with additional responsibility for Bhutan. With over three decades in diplomacy, Ackermann is known for his expertise in foreign policy, international cooperation, and cultural exchange.
He gained public attention in 2023 when he and the embassy staff performed a dance flash mob to the Oscar-winning song Naatu Naatu, earning praise from Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Early Diplomatic Career
In 1993, Ackermann joined the German Foreign Service. His early postings included:
The Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs as an exchange diplomat at the German Embassy in Rabat, Morocco, as a press and political officer at the Permanent Mission of Germany to the UN in New York, working in the political department.
He also co-founded the International Legal Foundation in New York in 2001, an NGO providing legal aid in post-conflict countries. He served on its board for 15 years, including as vice chairman.
Philipp Ackermann In The German Foreign Office
From 2002 to 2006, Ackermann worked as a speechwriter for Foreign Ministers Joschka Fischer and Frank-Walter Steinmeier.
He later headed the Provincial Reconstruction Team in Kunduz, Afghanistan (2006-2007) and served as Head of the Political Department at the German Embassy in New Delhi (2007-2010).
Between 2010 and 2014, he led the Afghanistan-Pakistan Task Force and served as Deputy Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan.
International Postings
- Deputy Ambassador in Washington, DC. (2014-2016)
- Commissioner for the Middle East and North Africa (2016-2017)
- Director General for Africa, Latin America, Near and Middle East (2017-2022) at the Federal Foreign Office in Berlin.
Early Life And Education
Ackermann studied art history, economics, and history at the universities of Bonn, Heidelberg, and Utrecht, after completing school at Johannes-Butzbach-Gymnasium in 1984 and military service. He earned his master's degree in 1990 and completed a PhD in art history from the University of Bonn in 1993.
About NDTV World Summit 2025
The NDTV World Summit 2025, themed Edge of the Unknown: Risk. Resolve. Renewal, is a two-day global forum taking place on October 17-18 in Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi.
The summit brings together world leaders, innovators, thinkers, and cultural icons to explore how nations and individuals can navigate an era of uncertainty and transformation. With India at the heart of these discussions, the event talks about key issues spanning politics, technology, climate, economy, and culture.
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