"Guenter Grass will be remembered as an intellectual powerhouse whose writing was admired all over the world. He will be missed," Prime Minister Modi tweeted.
Modi, who is on a three-day maiden visit to Germany, also condoled Grass' demise while addressing the Indian community here.
Grass, who gave voice to the generation that came of age during the horrors of the Nazi era, passed away in a Luebeck hospital at the age of 87.
Grass was lauded by Germans for helping to revive their culture in the aftermath of World War II.