Modi and Tusk Hold Talks as India-Poland Trade Push Grows

Nearly 100 Polish companies are travelling with Prime Minister Donald Tusk, a sign that his talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi are meant to deliver more than warm words. The two leaders met in India on Thursday, as the countries look to turn a strategic partnership into closer business and defence ties. Their meeting comes two years after Modi’s visit to Poland helped raise the relationship to that level. ^1,5

The partnership now gives the visit a wider context. Tusk arrived in New Delhi on Wednesday for a three-day trip and was welcomed at the airport by Minister of State Raj Bhushan Choudhary. He is accompanied by Finance and Economy Minister Andrzej Domanski and a large business group. The schedule includes talks with Modi, meetings with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, and business forums in New Delhi and Bengaluru. The leaders are also due to discuss regional and global issues, including the Russia-Ukraine war and India-EU ties. ^4,12

Those business forums are tied to a clear target: raising annual trade from about $6 billion to $10 billion, according to former Polish ambassador Adam Burakowski. Poland’s finance minister says Polish defence firms want Indian partners for research and equipment, while Poland is also seeking Indian investment in clean energy, including nuclear power. The group includes companies in agriculture, information technology, space and defence. That breadth matters because the two governments are trying to build practical links across industries, not just increase trade in one area. ^2,8

The $10 billion goal will depend on what companies can agree to, not simply on the leaders’ public support. Tusk’s next major stop is Bengaluru, where he is scheduled to meet business leaders in technology and space. A second India-Poland business forum is planned there on October 23, after the New Delhi forum on October 22. Those meetings are where the visit’s broad ambitions can turn into specific partnerships. ^5,12