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Poland is seeking to deepen defence and security cooperation with India, including joint production, technology development and resilient supply chains, ahead of Prime Minister Donald Tusk’s visit to India from October 22 to 24.
The detailed agenda for the visit is still being finalised, Poland’s Deputy Foreign Minister Władysław Teofil Bartoszewski said. Tusk is expected to visit New Delhi and Bengaluru, with defence and security, high-technology industries, space, manufacturing and business cooperation likely to feature in discussions.
Tusk is expected to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi and travel to Bengaluru, Bartoszewski said.
The visit follows the elevation of India-Poland ties to a Strategic Partnership during Modi’s visit to Warsaw in August 2024. The two countries adopted an Action Plan for 2024-2028 covering political and security dialogue, defence, trade and investment, technology, energy, mining, space and connectivity.
Warsaw now wants defence cooperation to move beyond the sale of military equipment towards joint manufacturing and technology development.
“We are not interested in selling all things to India,” Bartoszewski said. “We are more interested in talking about producing together various things, just in case of need and shortages, we can guarantee each country can guarantee supply to the other.”
He said the approach could also apply to defence production, allowing both countries to support each other during supply disruptions.
“We want to develop common platforms,” he said, “so in case of need, we can resupply each other fast.”
Bartoszewski said the Covid-19 pandemic, the war in Ukraine and disruptions around key maritime routes had highlighted vulnerabilities in global supply chains.
“The best way to do it is to build it with your partners,” he said.
India and Poland are also discussing a working group involving officials from their defence establishments to identify specific areas of cooperation. Bartoszewski said the proposed group would not initially involve troops or a joint military exercise.
A large official delegation from India’s Ministry of Defence is expected to visit Warsaw next week for discussions with senior Polish officials and the defence minister. Bartoszewski said the aim was to move from political statements towards projects that could be implemented.
Areas already being explored include unmanned systems, artillery ammunition, anti-aircraft systems and mine-laying equipment.
A Polish unmanned-systems company has opened an office in India with a view to local production, Bartoszewski said.
“We are looking at sharing various things from artillery shells. We are ready to supply India with some. India’s interested in producing some here,” he said.
He added that Poland was discussing anti-aircraft systems and other specialised military equipment with Indian counterparts.
“We are looking at various anti-aircraft systems which would be of interest,” he said, along with “some mine-laying equipment, which is very good here.”
Warsaw is also interested in co-development and co-engineering, particularly in areas where Indian and Polish technological capabilities can complement each other.
Space is another area under discussion. Bartoszewski said a Polish space company had visited India to discuss the possibility of producing satellites in India for the Indian market.
Poland is also interested in combining its expertise in small satellites, optical systems and other technologies with India’s space and technology ecosystem.
Bartoszewski said he had met Indian companies working on advanced laser and optical technologies for defence applications.
“There is money, there are brains, there are new technologies. Let’s try to develop it together,” he said.
Tusk’s planned Bengaluru visit is expected to provide an opportunity for discussions on high-technology business and technology partnerships.
“We are particularly interested in high-tech business,” Bartoszewski said.
He identified IT, space, green technologies, mining and advanced manufacturing as areas with potential for closer cooperation.
Poland’s official data shows bilateral trade reached about €5.68 billion in 2025. Indian technology companies including Tata Consultancy Services, Infosys, HCL Technologies and Wipro also have significant operations in Poland.
The renewed focus on defence cooperation comes amid changes in Europe’s security environment following Russia’s war against Ukraine. Poland has increased defence spending and is seeking to strengthen its domestic defence-industrial capacity, while also expanding engagement with partners in the Indo-Pacific.
Bartoszewski said India’s importance to Poland had grown as geopolitical circumstances changed.
“We have to readjust to that,” he said. “All of a sudden, we see partners way further away and in Asia, or Indo-Pacific.”
He described India as a “pivotal” partner and said Warsaw wanted closer cooperation with countries including India, Japan, South Korea and Australia.
India and Poland have maintained diplomatic relations since 1954. Bilateral ties gained fresh momentum in recent years, culminating in the 2024 Strategic Partnership.
Polish and Indian officials have continued high-level discussions in 2026, including on defence industries, new technologies and space. Poland’s foreign ministry said in September that defence-industry cooperation and new technologies, including space, offered “particular potential”.
Tusk’s visit is expected to provide another opportunity to develop these areas of cooperation, with Warsaw placing greater emphasis on joint production, technology development and supply-chain resilience.
Huma Siddiqui
