Modi and Tusk Agree to Double India-Poland Trade by 2030, Deepen Defence and Space Ties

India and Poland agreed on Thursday to double their bilateral trade by 2030 and to deepen work in defence, space and nuclear energy, after Prime Minister Narendra Modi held wide-ranging talks with Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk at Hyderabad House in New Delhi.

Tusk is on an official visit to India from October 21 to 23. He is accompanied by Poland's Finance and Economy Minister Andrzej Domanski and a large business delegation. The talks build on the Strategic Partnership the two countries set up in August 2024, during Modi's visit to Poland, and on the India-Poland Action Plan for 2024 to 2028.

What the two leaders agreed

Announcing the outcome, Modi said the two sides had agreed to deepen ties in defence, space and nuclear energy, and he invited Polish companies to take part in co-development and co-production with India in those areas. He said the two countries would also build new partnerships in critical minerals and coal gasification, using Polish expertise.

The joint statement covered a wider field: artificial intelligence, green technologies, critical minerals, cybersecurity, trade, investment, culture and education. The leaders said a defence industry dialogue should give formal shape to work between defence companies in both countries, with co-development, co-production and technology transfer on the table.

Both leaders stressed the value of the India-European Union free trade agreement, saying it would open new business for companies in both countries. Warsaw also backed India's bid for a permanent seat on a reformed UN Security Council, and the two sides reaffirmed support for a rules-based international order and reform of global institutions.

Peace, history and people

On world affairs, Modi said India and Poland both believe in democratic values and the rule of law, and that India would keep supporting every serious effort to bring peace to Ukraine and West Asia. Tusk's visit comes while international efforts to end the war in Ukraine continue.

Modi also pointed to an older bond. During World War II, the royal families of Jamnagar and Kolhapur gave shelter to thousands of Polish children and families in India. Poland returned the gesture in 2022, when it helped Indian students leave Ukraine safely under Operation Ganga.

What happens next

An India-Poland Business Forum meets in New Delhi on October 22 and in Bengaluru on October 23. Tusk will travel to Bengaluru to meet business leaders there, including from the information technology and space sectors. Sectors named by both sides for new business include industrial machinery, infrastructure, pharmaceuticals, mining, energy and information technology.

The test now is delivery. The partnership has a plan on paper, running to 2028, and a trade target for 2030. Companies in both countries will judge Thursday's talks by the contracts and projects that follow them.