India is seeking to deepen its economic engagement in Central Europe as Prime Minister Narendra Modi began a two-day visit to Slovakia, focusing on trade, investment, manufacturing, and technology cooperation.
The visit marks the first trip by an Indian prime minister to Slovakia since the country became independent in 1993 and comes as New Delhi looks to strengthen commercial and strategic partnerships across Europe.
During his stay in Bratislava, Modi is scheduled to hold talks with Slovak President Peter Pellegrini and Prime Minister Robert Fico. Meetings with leading business executives are also expected to focus on expanding economic cooperation and identifying new investment opportunities.
Focus on Business and Industry
India and Slovakia are expected to discuss cooperation in several sectors, including automobile manufacturing, railway production, trade, investment, and emerging technologies.
The visit is also being viewed as part of India’s broader effort to strengthen engagement with the European Union, with Slovakia serving as an important gateway to the European market.
Soon after arriving, Modi highlighted the importance of the visit.
“This visit provides an opportunity to deepen India-Slovakia relations and explore new avenues of cooperation. Looking forward to productive meetings with President Pellegrini and Prime Minister Fico,” he posted on X.
According to India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), the Prime Minister was welcomed by Slovak Foreign and European Affairs Minister Juraj Blanr and received a traditional bread-and-salt welcome, a symbol of hospitality and goodwill in Slovakia.
Building on Growing Relations
The visit follows a series of high-level engagements between the two countries over the past year.
These include President Droupadi Murmu’s state visit to Slovakia in April 2025 and President Pellegrini’s participation in the AI Impact Summit held in India in February 2026.
Ahead of the visit, Modi described the trip as historic and expressed confidence that discussions with Slovak leaders and business representatives would create new opportunities for cooperation.
After concluding his engagements in Slovakia, Modi will travel to France to participate in the G7 Summit in Evian on June 16 and 17.
He is expected to hold discussions on economic growth, international cooperation, and artificial intelligence, while also meeting world leaders on the sidelines of the summit.
The final leg of the tour will take him to Paris on June 18 for VivaTech 2026, one of Europe’s largest technology and startup events, where he will participate alongside French President Emmanuel Macron.
Last modified: June 15, 2026
