India and Poland have agreed to establish a Startup Bridge and deepen cooperation in defence, space and nuclear energy, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Thursday following talks with Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk in New Delhi.
Delivering a joint press statement, PM Modi invited Polish companies to partner with India in co-development and co-production in strategic sectors. He also announced plans to develop partnerships in critical minerals and coal gasification, drawing on Polish expertise.
The Prime Minister said the two countries would work towards doubling bilateral trade by 2030 and building trusted global supply chains.
“Our growing economic strength has created new opportunities for the India-Poland partnership,” PM Modi said, adding that the India-European Union Free Trade Agreement had further expanded the scope for cooperation.
Once the agreement comes into effect, it would create opportunities for Indian exports of machinery, chemicals, plastics and engineering goods to Poland, he said. India would also seek Polish investment in railways and mobility, advanced manufacturing, food processing and biotechnology.
PM Modi welcomed the large business delegation accompanying Tusk and expressed confidence that companies from both countries would help achieve the trade target.
Congratulating Poland on its GDP crossing $1 trillion last year, PM Modi said both countries were emerging as important centres of growth, technology and innovation despite global uncertainty. He also cited India’s economic growth of 7.8 per cent in the last quarter.
On technology cooperation, PM Modi said India and Poland already had strong links in information technology and cybersecurity, with several Indian IT companies operating in Poland.
The proposed India-Poland Startup Bridge would build on those ties and support cooperation in artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, fintech and other emerging technologies, creating opportunities for young people in both countries.
PM Modi recalled that bilateral relations were elevated to a Strategic Partnership during his visit to Poland in 2024. The partnership had gained fresh momentum over the past two years, he said, with the latest talks producing important decisions to strengthen cooperation.
The Prime Minister described cultural and people-to-people ties as the relationship’s greatest strength and welcomed Poland’s tradition of Sanskrit studies and Indology. The two sides had decided to strengthen cooperation in culture, education, sports and tourism, he said, noting the establishment of an Indian Studies Chair in Kraków.
Recalling the countries’ historical links, PM Modi said the royal families of Jamnagar and Kolhapur had sheltered thousands of Polish children and families during the Second World War. He noted that the people of Poland continued to remember the Jam Saheb as “Dobry Maharaja”, or “Good Maharaja”.
PM Modi also thanked Poland for helping Indian students return safely from Ukraine in 2022 and said the Jam Saheb Youth Exchange Programme was carrying the friendship forward to a new generation.
The leaders discussed regional and global developments, with PM Modi stressing their shared commitment to democratic values and the rule of law. He called for reforms to make global governance institutions stronger and more effective.
“Whether in Ukraine or West Asia, India will continue to support every meaningful effort towards peace,” he said.
