Polish PM Donald Tusk calls for joint ventures in AI, digital products and space technology as India and Poland seek to expand business ties and access global markets
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk has called for India and Poland to move beyond traditional trade and build joint ventures in emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence (AI), digital products and space technology, as the two countries look to expand their presence in global markets.
Addressing the Global Investors Meet 2027 in Bengaluru on Friday, October 23, Tusk said companies from both countries could combine research capabilities, technology and capital to develop new products and take them to international markets.
“Now it is time to translate these declarations into joint ventures,” Tusk said, making the case for closer commercial cooperation following the elevation of India-Poland ties to a strategic partnership.
He also pointed to growing cooperation in the space sector, where companies from both countries are exploring partnerships in satellite components, earth observation, navigation, software and space security.
His remarks come as India seeks to expand its role in global manufacturing and technology supply chains, while Poland offers Indian businesses a potential route to European markets through its industrial and technological capabilities.
India and Poland look beyond traditional trade
Tusk said partnerships between Indian and Polish companies could bring together research and development teams, technology and capital to develop digital products for international markets.
“We see an opportunity for partnerships in which Polish and Indian companies combine their research and development teams, technologies, and capital to jointly introduce new digital products to the market,” he said.
He also identified scope for developing AI systems for manufacturing, automation, data analysis, diagnostics and infrastructure management.
The Polish prime minister said collaboration could extend to tools designed for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), many of which do not have the resources to maintain their own research teams.
Universities and research institutions could also work together on machine learning, data analysis and the safe use of AI, he said.
Such partnerships could help businesses share development costs, access specialised expertise and build products for customers beyond their domestic markets.
Space technology emerges as another area of cooperation
Tusk said Polish space companies were already finding partners in India for joint technology development.
The areas he identified included satellite components, earth observation, navigation, software, data analytics, space security and dual-use technologies, which can serve both civilian and defence purposes.
The comments point to an opportunity for companies in both countries to collaborate on specialised components, software and data services rather than limiting their relationship to the sale and purchase of finished products.
The two countries have also included technological cooperation, cybersecurity and the space sector in an action plan accompanying their strategic partnership.
Karnataka pitches Bengaluru as an investment destination
Tusk’s visit to Bengaluru also brought investment opportunities in Karnataka into focus.
Chief Minister D K Shivakumar invited Poland to participate as a country partner in Karnataka’s Global Investors Meet 2027. He said the state wanted to deepen cooperation in investment, technology, innovation and employment by combining Bengaluru’s technology ecosystem with Poland’s strengths in advanced manufacturing, AI and green energy.
Shivakumar identified medical products, healthcare and advanced manufacturing as sectors with scope for greater Polish investment.
He also encouraged Polish companies to explore opportunities in software, gaming, robotics, smart manufacturing and start-up innovation, while calling for stronger links between research institutions and businesses.
The chief minister cited a proposed investment of around Rs 80 crore by Poland’s TZMO Group in the KIADB Vemgal Industrial Area in Kolar district. The project, spread across five acres, could generate around 1,000 jobs and introduce the manufacture of smart adult incontinence pads in India for the first time, according to the state government’s release.
The investment proposal offers a more immediate industrial dimension to the broader push for stronger India-Poland business ties.
Defence, manufacturing and green energy in focus
Karnataka also identified opportunities for Polish companies in pharmaceuticals, information technology, research and development, energy and advanced manufacturing.
Shivakumar invited companies including Asseco and Polpharma to explore partnerships in IT, software services, pharmaceuticals and R&D. Energy and industrial firms such as ORLEN and KGHM Polska Miedź were encouraged to consider collaboration in Karnataka’s energy, petrochemical and advanced manufacturing sectors.
Renewable energy, waste-to-energy, wastewater treatment, sludge management and circular economy solutions were other areas identified for cooperation.
Tusk’s reference to dual-use space technologies also highlights a potential overlap between civilian technology development and security-related applications. However, the remarks did not announce a specific new defence contract or joint venture.
Turning a strategic partnership into business
The next test for India and Poland will be whether the political push translates into investments, joint research projects and commercially viable ventures.
Tusk’s emphasis on combining research teams, technology and capital suggests that both countries want businesses to play a more active role in the relationship. Joint development could allow companies to share costs and expertise while gaining access to markets in Europe and Asia.
For India, deeper cooperation could support its ambitions in advanced manufacturing, digital services and space technology. For Poland, partnerships with Indian firms could offer access to a large market, technical capabilities and opportunities to scale products.
The challenge will be to move from broad areas of cooperation to concrete projects, funding commitments and marketable products.
As Tusk put it, “Now it is time to translate these declarations into joint ventures.”