Hyderabad, October 9, 2026: His Highness Prince Rahim Aga Khan V, the 50th hereditary Imam of the Shia Ismaili Muslims and Chair of the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN), concluded his first official visit to India from September 9 to 15, reaffirming the 120-year partnership between the Ismaili Imamat and India and expressing commitment to the country’s Viksit Bharat 2047 vision.
During the week-long visit, Prince Rahim Aga Khan V met with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, President Droupadi Murmu, Vice President C. P. Radhakrishnan, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, and External Affairs Minister Dr S. Jaishankar, as well as governors and chief ministers in Gujarat, Maharashtra, and Telangana. Discussions focused on strengthening collaboration in healthcare, agriculture, rural development, education, women and youth empowerment, climate resilience, water management, heritage conservation, and economic opportunity.
Meetings with national and state leaders
In New Delhi, talks with Prime Minister Modi explored expanding the partnership between India and AKDN in areas such as healthcare, agriculture, rural development, youth and women’s empowerment, and public-private partnerships for climate resilience, natural farming, reforestation, and sustainable development. President Murmu recognised AKDN’s contributions in water and sanitation, education, maternal health, urban redevelopment, and employment generation as models for public-private collaboration.
In Gujarat, Prince Rahim Aga Khan V met Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel to discuss holistic and sustainable development, including cooperation in solar energy, rural development, and strengthening cooperative institutions. Women’s empowerment and entrepreneurship initiatives in the state were also highlighted.
Focus on healthcare, climate, and heritage
Meetings in Maharashtra with Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis covered healthcare, education, tribal and skill development, water conservation, climate action, and heritage conservation. The state government expressed interest in expanding public-private partnerships with AKDN and establishing an institutional mechanism to review and scale development projects. Healthcare proposals included a children’s hospital, specialised geriatric care, skill-based medical training, and research facilities. AKDN’s work in rural water conservation, environmental protection, and urban greening was also discussed.
With Maharashtra Governor Jishnu Dev Varma, Prince Rahim Aga Khan V reviewed AKDN’s climate action initiatives in Pune, Mira-Bhayandar, and Chandrapur, including cooling solutions and emission reduction efforts. The revival of ponds and water bodies in Vasai and collaboration with universities on climate and micro-forest projects were also addressed.
Heritage and urban development in Telangana
In Telangana, Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy sought AKDN’s cooperation in restoring Hyderabad’s historic City College and the existing Osmania General Hospital building, with the latter proposed for conservation as a heritage asset after a new hospital is built. Discussions also included the Musi River rejuvenation and expanded collaboration in heritage conservation and tourism.
The visit reaffirmed AKDN’s principles of pluralism, human dignity, and community participation, with programmes in India designed to improve quality of life regardless of faith, origin, or gender. AKDN’s presence in India dates to 1905, when the first Aga Khan school was established in Mundra, Gujarat, and now reaches over nine million people annually across education, health, rural livelihoods, economic inclusion, habitat, culture, heritage, and climate resilience.
International and community engagement
The discussions included the international dimension of the Ismaili Imamat’s development experience, identifying regions in Asia and Africa for possible collaboration aligned with India’s development interests. Prince Rahim Aga Khan V also met members of the Ismaili community in India, reflecting on the longstanding relationship and shared values of service, education, and community development.
The engagements highlighted opportunities to apply AKDN’s institutional experience to India’s emerging priorities and underscored the potential for sustained collaboration between public institutions, development organisations, universities, and communities to support India’s development goals.
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