India-Poland Relations

During World War II, an Indian king sheltered nearly a thousand Polish orphans. Poland has never forgotten it.

mcqquestion.com

International Relations · IntlRel0063

From a Wartime Refuge to a Strategic Partnership

7 Jan 1954

India and Poland establish diplomatic relations.

2004

Poland joins the European Union.

Aug 2024

PM Modi’s visit elevates ties to a Strategic Partnership.

Jul 2026

India and Poland explore deeper MSME-sector cooperation.

Central Europe’s Top Partner

Bilateral trade tripled between 2013 and 2025, reaching roughly $6.36 billion. Poland is now India’s largest trading and investment partner in Central and Eastern Europe.

📑 Contents

1Must Know
2Good to Know
3Test Yourself
4Great to Know
5Current Affairs

Must Know

India and Poland established diplomatic relations on 7 January 1954.
India’s Embassy in Warsaw opened in 1957, cementing the early tie.
PM Narendra Modi visited Poland on 21-22 August 2024. It was the first Indian PM visit to Poland in 45 years, since Morarji Desai in 1979.
During that visit, Modi and Polish PM Donald Tusk elevated ties to a Strategic Partnership.
Both sides adopted a five-year Action Plan, covering 2024 to 2028. It spans defence, trade, agri-tech, energy, green technologies, infrastructure, pharmaceuticals, and mining.
Bilateral trade grew roughly threefold between 2013 and 2025, reaching about $6.36 billion.
Poland is India’s largest trading and investment partner in Central and Eastern Europe.

Good to Know

Indian investment in Poland is estimated at over $3 billion. Polish investment in India is estimated at around $685 million.
About 11 Indian IT companies employ over 10,000 Polish professionals.
India and Poland signed a Social Security Agreement in November 2024. It eases cross-border work for professionals moving between the two countries.
The two countries also cooperate under several older agreements. These cover Cultural Cooperation (1957), Science and Technology (1993), Defence Cooperation (2003), and both Healthcare and Tourism (2009).
The India-EU Free Trade Agreement was concluded on 26 January 2026. It is expected to further boost trade and investment between India and Poland. See IntlRel0056 — India’s Free Trade Agreements.
Poland’s accession to the European Union, in 2004, made it a key economic gateway for India into Central Europe.

Test Yourself

Great to Know

During World War II, the Jam Saheb of Nawanagar, Maharaja Digvijaysinhji Jadeja, sheltered nearly 1,000 Polish orphans. He built them a camp at Balachadi, near his summer palace in Gujarat, complete with a school, a library, and a church.
In 2016, fifty years after his death, Poland’s Parliament unanimously adopted a resolution honouring him for this act.
During his 2024 visit, PM Modi paid homage at “Good Maharaja Square,” a memorial in Warsaw named for him.
The Jamsaheb Youth Exchange Programme, launched in 2024, is named after the same Maharaja. It connects young people from both countries today.
Poland today hosts a large yoga community: over 300,000 practitioners, across roughly 1,000 centres.
An ICCR Chair for Indology has been established at Jagiellonian University, in Krakow.

Current Affairs

On 15 July 2026, India’s MSME Ministry held bilateral talks with a Polish delegation at Kartavya Bhawan, New Delhi. Secretary Bharat Khera represented India, and Deputy Minister Michał Baranowski led the Polish side. (Source: PIB)
Khera highlighted the scale of India’s MSME sector. It has over 86 million registered MSMEs, contributing nearly 30% of GDP and over a third of manufacturing output. MSMEs generate nearly half of India’s exports, and support around 330 million livelihoods. (Source: PIB)
He briefed the delegation on flagship initiatives. These included the Udyam Registration Portal, the Credit Guarantee Scheme for Micro & Small Enterprises, Technology Centres, and Zero Defect Zero Effect (ZED) practices. (Source: PIB)
Both sides reviewed an existing institutional partnership. It links India’s National Small Industries Corporation (NSIC) and Poland’s Polish Agency for Enterprise Development (PARP), an engagement initiated in 2024. (Source: PIB)
Khera noted that bilateral trade has grown roughly threefold since 2013, and said the new India-EU FTA would strengthen ties further. (Source: PIB)