Embassy of India

Poland

OPENING REMARKS BY THE AMBASSADOR DURING PISM SEMINAR

13 MAY 2026

Title : “Co-creating Strategic Autonomy: India, Poland and the EU as Defence-Technology Partners”

Time Stipulation: 05-07 Mins

It is a great pleasure and honour to be with you here today.  I would like to thank both PISM and ORF for this wonderful initiative.  The presence of so many dignitaries today is clear testimony to our growing partnership, both with EU overall and especially with Poland. While we have historically shared close and friendly relations, the visit of Hon’ble Prime Minister of India in 2024 and elevation of our relationship to that of a “Strategic Partnership” are significant milestones in our ties.

2. The topic of the discussion today on strategic autonomy and India, Poland and EU as defence technology partners is indeed timely, ambitious and much needed.

3. You will agree with me that  strategic autonomy, as we understand it today, is undergoing a quiet but profound transformation.
For India, strategic autonomy has long meant the ability to make sovereign choices while engaging widely and constructively with the world. 
I had the pleasure of attending some of the sessions yesterday and it was evident that Poland and EU are also placing enormous emphasis on building resilience, technological sovereignty, and trusted partnerships. There are definitely areas of convergence. There is a shared recognition that in an interconnected and uncertain world, autonomy cannot be built in isolation—it must be built through partnerships.
It is at this intersection that India, Poland, and the European Union find a natural alignment of interests.
The India–EU relationship is entering a very important and consequential phase. As negotiations advance across trade, technology, and security domains, we are witnessing a deeper acknowledgement that economic security and national security are increasingly intertwined. This is not simply about expanding trade—it is about shaping resilient, trusted, and future-ready ecosystems.
Within this broader framework, Poland occupies a particularly important place.
Poland today is not only one of Europe’s fastest-growing major economies— Its sustained increase in defence spending, modernisation programmes etc.At  the same time, Poland is actively diversifying its defence partnerships and investing in domestic manufacturing and technology absorption. This creates a strong basis for collaboration with partners, who can offer both capability and scale.

4. This indeed presents a huge opportunity for our relations, not just for engagement, but for long-term, structured and strategic partnership.
Distinguished guests, Ladies and gentlemen,
Defence cooperation itself is being redefined in recent times.
It is no longer sufficient to think in terms of procurement or supplier relationships. The future lies in deeper, more integrated models of collaboration—what I would describe as the three pillars of modern defence partnership: Co-development, Co-production & Co-innovation.
India’s own defence transformation reflects this shift.
Through the Make in India Initiative, India has significantly expanded its indigenous capabilities across design, development, and manufacturing. This has been accompanied by the rise of a vibrant private sector, a growing start-up ecosystem, and increasing integration of advanced technologies into defence production.
At the same time, India remains firmly committed to international partnerships—particularly those that are based on trust, transparency, and mutual strategic value.

5. In practical terms, the India–Poland partnership offers clear opportunities.
We are already witnessing encouraging industry engagement. WB Group of Poland through its subsidiary WB Electronics, has established a presence in New Delhi and is steadily deepening cooperation with Indian defence partners, particularly in the field of Unmanned Aerial Systems.  Such initiatives reflect the growing potential for joint development and manufacturing, and can serve as important building blocks for a more integrated India–Poland Defence Partnership.
Within this evolving context, there is significant scope to expand cooperation in defence manufacturing—particularly in land systems, Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) & Counter-UAS Systems and specialised equipment—where India’s scale and cost-efficiency can effectively complement Poland’s capabilities and modernisation priorities.
At the same time, the real frontier lies in emerging technologies.
Artificial intelligence, robotics, advanced materials and electronic warfare are not just future domains—they are shaping the battlefield and security landscape of today. Collaboration in these areas can significantly enhance the technological depth of our partnership.
At the India–EU level, the scope is even broader.
We are looking at ecosystem-level cooperation—spanning advanced manufacturing, resilient supply chains, joint research and development, cyber and digital defence, space technologies, and sustainable defence solutions.

6. Here, the complementarity is clear: Europe brings high-end technological expertise and mature innovation ecosystems, India brings scale, speed and an expanding industrial and technological base.
Together, this creates the possibility of building trusted, diversified, and future-ready systems.
Strategic autonomy, in today’s world, is not about standing apart—it is about standing strong together.
No country—however advanced—can on its own secure all the technologies, supply chains, and capabilities it requires. Resilience today is built through trusted networks, shared innovation, and collaborative frameworks.
In this sense, India–EU cooperation—and within it, India–Poland cooperation—can serve as a powerful example of how strategic autonomy and strategic partnership reinforce each other.
The challenge before us is therefore not conceptual—it is operational.
How do we move from dialogue to delivery?
This is where forums like today’s seminar become important. They bring together policymakers, industry leaders, researchers, and strategic thinkers—the very actors needed to translate ideas into outcomes.
In my opinion, the next phase must focus on:  building institutional mechanisms, enabling industry-to-industry collaboration, aligning regulatory frameworks, and advancing joint research and innovation.