Calling India one of the fastest-growing economies in the world, President Droupadi Murmu said on Thursday that Slovakia, with its strong industrial base and strategic location in Europe, presents great opportunities for deeper trade and investment ties.
“As a key member of the European Union and a hope for automotive defence and high-tech industries, Slovakia has started to benefit from India’s consumer market, skilled workforce and startup ecosystem,” Murmu said while addressing the Slovakia-India Business Forum in Bratislava.
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Affirming India’s commitment to enhancing trade ties with Slovakia, she said the Slovakia-India Business Forum serves as an excellent platform to explore synergies and build mutually beneficial partnerships.
In this context, Murmu urged business leaders to seize the opportunities and convert them into concrete results.
“India is committed to enhancing trade relations with Slovakia. The large business delegation, representing diverse fields, which has accompanied me, clearly shows the interest of Indian businesses to explore opportunities in Slovakia. We have seen a similar interest from Slovakia,” she said.
President Murmu thanked Slovakia President Peter Pellegrini for his commitment to strengthening economic ties between the two countries. She said India is undergoing remarkable transformation and has emerged as a global leader in technology, innovation and sustainable development.
The automotive sector has emerged as a strong link between Slovakia and India, she said. “Tata Motors subsidiary Jaguar Land Rover has made a significant investment in Slovakia, including a manufacturing facility in Nitra operating since 2018. This state-of-the-art plant producing models like the Land Rover Discovery and defender underscores Slovakia’s growing role in global automobile manufacturing. I appreciate President Pellegrini’s valuable contribution in facilitating this investment which has further deepened our economic partnership,” President Murmu said.
“Beyond the automotive industry, many other Indian companies established a presence in Slovakia, many of whom are represented here today. Similarly, several Slovak firms are actively participating in India’s industrial growth. These collaborations highlight the growing depth of our economic engagement,” she said.
Earlier, President Murmu visited an exhibition of paintings by Slovak children. The Slovak-Indian Friendship Society, in collaboration with the Indian Embassy, has been organising the painting competition ‘Beauty Hidden in Fairy Tales – India through the Eyes of Slovak Children’ since 2015.
She also witnessed a puppet show on Ramayan conducted by Lenka Mukova. Lenka is part of the Babadlo Puppet Theatre in Presov, which has been educating children through puppetry for 30 years.
President Murmu also attended a banquet hosted in her honour by Slovakia President Pellegrini at the historic Bratislava Castle. The Slovak artists presented captivating musical performances including that of the National Anthem, signifying the strong cultural bond between the two countries.
Thanking the Slovak government and the people of Slovakia for the warm welcome and hospitality, she said from yoga and ayurveda to Indian cuisine, the love for Indian culture in Slovakia is a testament to the strong people-to-people connections. She also reaffirmed India’s commitment to strengthen the bonds of friendship between the two countries.
On Wednesday, President Murmu held productive talks with the Slovakia President in Bratislava as both leaders reviewed various facets of India-Slovakia relations and agreed to work towards strengthening the bilateral partnership across diverse sectors.
During their one-to-one meeting and delegation-level talks, President Murmu and Pellegrini also discussed issues of shared global and regional interests. The participants in delegation-level talks from the Indian side included the accompanying Minister of State, Nimuben Bambhaniya, as well as Members of Parliament Dhaval Patel, Sandhya Ray and senior officials.
President Murmu also met the Speaker of National Council of the Slovak Republic, Richard Rasi in Bratislava and congratulated him on his recent election as Speaker while reaffirming the high priority attached by India to the historic friendship between the two countries.
“President Murmu said that Parliamentarians have an important role in enhancing goodwill and mutual understanding between India and Slovakia. She noted that there has been a tradition of a Slovak-India Friendship Group in the National Council of Slovakia, and said that it would help promote exchange of knowledge and experience among our Parliamentarians,” the President’s Secretariat said.
This is the first-ever visit by an Indian President to the Slovak Republic in 29 years.
“The two-day visit to Slovakia spotlights the importance India places on its bilateral relations with the Slovak Republic. It is also expected to pave the way for deeper cooperation and new initiatives in various sectors, including defence, science and technology, and education,” said the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA).
