The Goethe Society of India (GSI) was founded in 1997. It seeks to promote scholarly research on the work of the German writer, poet, thinker, scientist and administrator Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749 - 1832), and on the classical German heritage together with their relationship to contemporary cultural developments. It emphasises the European context of this heritage and its comparative international dimensions symbolised by Goethe's notion of World Literature. The GSI actively promotes an academic dialogue between India, the German speaking countries and Europe. It functions as a free association of scholars and its conferences are documented annually by a yearbook.

In keeping with this objective, the GSI has been actively promoting academic dialogue in the fields of arts and literature within the broad ambit of Goethe's vision of World Literature between India and the German speaking countries. In this venture it is supported by various academic and cultural institutions in India and Germany.

The Goethe Society of India is a registered body under the T. N. Societies Act (Regd.No. 233/97, address: A-8, Sakthi Towers, 109 Gandhi Road, Madras 600 042, India).