India and Poland Target Doubling Trade by 2030, Push for Quick EU FTA Ratification

India and Poland have agreed to double their bilateral trade by 2030. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk released a joint statement on Thursday after talks at Hyderabad House in New Delhi. They also called for the India-European Union free trade agreement to be signed and ratified quickly so that businesses on both sides can start using it.

Tusk is in India from October 21 to 23. It is his second visit as Polish prime minister; the first was in 2010, during his earlier term. He has brought Finance and Economy Minister Andrzej Domanski and a large business delegation. Thursday's statement is the first full account of what the two governments intend to do with the strategic partnership they signed in August 2024, when Modi visited Warsaw.

Trade, with the EU deal as the lever

The statement puts the EU-India FTA at the centre of the trade goal. Both leaders asked for it to be signed promptly, ratified and implemented on time. They said it would open new markets and help both countries diversify their supply chains.

Modi invited Polish companies to invest in Indian manufacturing. Tusk presented Poland as a gateway for Indian firms that want to expand into Central and Eastern Europe. An India-Poland Business Forum met in Delhi on Thursday and will meet again in Bengaluru on Friday. The leaders pointed to industrial machinery, defence, infrastructure, pharmaceuticals, mining, energy and information technology as sectors where partnerships could form. They also agreed to restart a joint working group on agriculture.

From trade to technology and minerals

Much of the statement covers technology. The two sides will carry out joint research in artificial intelligence, semiconductors and quantum technologies, and will deepen links between their start-up ecosystems. Space was described as a key part of the partnership, and both sides will work out specific areas for cooperation.

Critical minerals may be the most concrete item. A memorandum of understanding on geology, mining and critical minerals is being negotiated. The leaders also highlighted battery recycling and rare-earth refining as areas for cooperation. These supply chains are currently dominated by China, and both India and the EU are trying to reduce that dependence.

Defence, shipping and connectivity

Defence featured prominently. Modi invited Polish firms to co-develop and co-produce equipment in India. Poland has been one of Europe's biggest military spenders since Russia's invasion of Ukraine. A separate defence industry dialogue will look at joint development projects.

The statement also covers maritime security, cooperation between ports, and the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC). It asks the civil aviation authorities of both countries to discuss more direct flights.

On wider issues, the two leaders condemned terrorism and violent extremism, backed a rules-based international order, and supported reform of global institutions, including the UN Security Council.

Why it matters

For India, Poland is a growing manufacturing and logistics base inside the EU and a stronger partner within the bloc as the FTA approaches ratification. For Warsaw, India offers market size and an alternative supply source for components and minerals. A specific trade target and a minerals agreement under negotiation give both governments something they can be measured against. The next test is whether the minerals MoU and direct flights actually happen.

This is an original summary based on public reporting. See our editorial policy for how we source, write, and correct our stories.