Trade, defence, cultural ties to be in focus during PM Modi’s visit to Poland

Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Poland and Ukraine focuses on trade, defense, and cultural ties with high symbolism.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Poland and Ukraine will be high on symbolism, even as geopolitical issues, trade, and defence aspects will be discussed at the highest levels. Mr. Modi is scheduled to be in Warsaw on August 21 and 22, the first by an Indian PM in 45 years after Morarji Desai visited the country in 1979, and the shared cultural ties will be in focus.

Poland can be a gateway to India to Europe and there is a lot of potential to expand trade, but there is not enough clarity on how the system works in India, an Indian businessmen based here noted.

Defence ties are also on the upswing with India recently posting a defence attaché at its embassy here and some Polish companies securing orders and looking to set up joint ventures in India.

Poland has an Indian population of around 25,000, out of which around 5,000 are students. Poland played a pivotal role in helping India evacuate its 4,000 Indian students from Ukraine during the onset of the Russian invasion in early 2022, Secretary (West) in the Ministry of External Affairs Tanmaya Lal noted. “One of the unique bonds between our countries relates to the time in the 1940s during World War-II when more than 6,000 Polish women and children found refuge in two princely states in India — Jamnagar and Kolhapur,” he said on Monday.

Poland has the sixth largest economy in the European Union (EU) and the bilateral trade of around $6 billion makes Poland the largest partner in Central and Eastern Europe for India. Poland will hold the next presidency of the council of the EU.

Indian companies have investments in IT, pharmaceuticals, farm vehicles, electronics, steel and chemicals. Similarly, nearly 30 Polish companies have their presence in India in the areas of sanitary products, cosmetics, and metals.

In this aspect, an Indian businessman established in Poland, Amit Lath says that India has to showcase itself better and educate Polish businesses on how to work in India. “In fact, Polish entrepreneurs are quite keen to develop business with India, but there is no road map, a clear road map for them on how to actually navigate within India. India has not promoted the way it should be promoted, especially when I see other countries the way they are actively, aggressively promoting themselves, we need to do the same,” he told The Hindu. “India has got a great image, but that image has to be encashed by India in terms of promoting and putting it in a right sense.”