Aga Khan V begins first India visit as Imam, underlining century-old ties with New Delhi

Prince Rahim Aga Khan V, the 50th spiritual leader of the Ismaili Muslim community, arrived in New Delhi on Tuesday on his first visit to India since succeeding his late father, Prince Karim Aga Khan IV, as Imam. The visit is significant not merely for the Ismaili community but also for India's longstanding institutional relationship with the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN), which has worked in the country since 1905, when the first Aga Khan School was established at Mundra in Gujarat. Over the decades, that relationship has expanded far beyond education and community affairs. The AKDN now works across rural development, agriculture, financial inclusion, healthcare, water and sanitation, climate resilience, education, habitat and heritage conservation. Its India programmes reach more than nine million people annually.