Aga Khan V begins seven-day India visit, to meet President, PM

Prince Rahim Aga Khan V, the 50th hereditary Imam of the Shia Ismaili Muslims and Chair of the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN), began his seven-day visit to India on Wednesday following an invitation from Vice President C P Radhakrishnan.

According to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), the Aga Khan will be in India from September 9 to 15 and is scheduled to meet President Droupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi.

He will also hold meetings with Home Minister Amit Shah and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar.

As part of his visit, Prince Rahim Aga Khan V will travel to Ahmedabad, Mumbai and Hyderabad, where the Aga Khan Development Network is involved in various community and development initiatives.

The MEA said this is Prince Rahim’s first visit to India since he assumed office as the 50th Imam of the Ismaili community.

Prince Rahim became the 50th hereditary Imam of the Nizari Ismaili Muslims in February 2025 following the death of his father, Prince Karim Al-Hussaini Aga Khan IV, in accordance with the community’s traditional succession practices.

The Ismaili community traces its history back more than 1,400 years and has maintained allegiance to a living hereditary spiritual leader. Ismailis are spread across more than 35 countries worldwide.

Alongside his spiritual responsibilities, Prince Rahim serves on the boards of several institutions associated with the Aga Khan Development Network. He is also involved in the governance of the Ismaili community’s social institutions and the Institute of Ismaili Studies.

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