New Delhi, September 9 — Prince Rahim Aga Khan V, the 50th hereditary Imam and spiritual leader of Shia Ismaili Muslims and chairman of the Aga Khan Development Network, will begin a seven-day visit to India on Wednesday following an invitation from Vice President C.P. Radhakrishnan.
According to the Ministry of External Affairs, Prince Rahim’s visit through Sept. 15 will include meetings with President Droupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi. He is also scheduled to meet Home Minister Amit Shah and External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar.
Beyond the capital, Prince Rahim will travel to Ahmedabad, Mumbai and Hyderabad to visit community and development projects operated by the Aga Khan Development Network.
The MEA said this is Prince Rahim’s first visit to India since he became the 50th Imam of the Ismaili community.
Prince Rahim assumed the position in February 2025 following the death of his father, Prince Karim Al-Hussaini Aga Khan IV, in accordance with traditional Shia Imami Ismaili succession customs.
The global Ismaili community, with an estimated 12 million to 15 million members across more than 35 countries, has maintained allegiance to a living hereditary spiritual leader for centuries.
In addition to his spiritual responsibilities, Prince Rahim serves on the boards of several entities within the Aga Khan Development Network and remains involved in the oversight of the Ismaili community’s social institutions and the Institute of Ismaili Studies.
The visit builds on decades of cooperation between the Indian government and the Aga Khan Foundation.
Following the death of Aga Khan IV in February 2025, Prime Minister Modi expressed condolences and praised the late spiritual leader for his humanitarian service and contributions to development.
Aga Khan IV, the founder and chairman of the Aga Khan Development Network, died on Feb. 4, 2025, at age 88 in Lisbon, Portugal, surrounded by his family.
During a previous visit to India in 2015, Aga Khan IV was awarded the Padma Vibhushan for his contributions to development in the country.
At the time, Modi praised the Aga Khan Foundation’s work in rural development and sanitation and recalled projects he had observed during his tenure as chief minister of Gujarat. (ANI)
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