India, Poland Explore Stronger MSME Collaboration to Boost Trade, Technology and Innovation

New Delhi: India and Poland on Wednesday agreed to deepen cooperation in the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) sector, focusing on enterprise development, digital transformation, technology, innovation, trade and investment. The understanding emerged during a bilateral meeting between the Ministry of MSME and a high-level Polish delegation in New Delhi, where both sides underscored the importance of strengthening institutional partnerships and business-to-business engagement to further enhance the strategic relationship between the two countries.

High-level bilateral meeting held in New Delhi

The Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME), Government of India, held a bilateral meeting with a high-level delegation from the Republic of Poland at Kartavya Bhawan, New Delhi. The Polish delegation was led by Mr. Michał Baranowski, Deputy Minister, Ministry of Economic Development and Technology, while the Indian side was represented by Bharat Khera, Secretary, Ministry of MSME. The meeting focused on exploring new avenues for cooperation in the MSME sector and strengthening economic ties between the two countries.

India highlights strength of its MSME sector

During the discussions, Secretary Bharat Khera highlighted the significant contribution of India’s MSME sector to the national economy. He said India has more than 86 million registered MSMEs, which:

Contribute nearly 30 per cent to the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
Account for over one-third of India’s manufacturing output.
Contribute nearly half of the country’s exports.
Support the livelihoods of around 330 million people.

He described the sector as a key driver of economic growth, employment generation and export performance.

Government showcases key MSME initiatives

The Secretary briefed the Polish delegation on the Government of India’s efforts to build globally competitive and future-ready MSMEs.

He highlighted several flagship initiatives, including:

Udyam Registration Portal
Credit Guarantee Scheme for Micro and Small Enterprises
Technology Centres
Zero Defect Zero Effect (ZED) Certification Programme

The initiatives are aimed at promoting digital transformation, innovation, technology adoption, sustainable manufacturing and improved market access for MSMEs.

India-Poland trade ties continue to grow

Highlighting the growing strategic partnership between the two countries, Bharat Khera said Poland is India’s largest trading and investment partner in Central and Eastern Europe. He noted that bilateral trade between India and Poland has tripled between 2013 and 2025.

The Secretary also expressed confidence that the recently concluded India-European Union Free Trade Agreement (FTA) would further strengthen trade and investment flows and elevate the strategic partnership between the two countries.

Poland keen to expand institutional and business cooperation

Deputy Minister Michał Baranowski praised India’s progress in strengthening its MSME ecosystem and conveyed Poland’s interest in expanding cooperation.

He reaffirmed Poland’s commitment to:

Strengthening institutional partnerships.
Promoting greater business-to-business engagement.
Expanding collaboration in enterprise development and innovation.

The discussions also acknowledged the institutional cooperation initiated in 2024 between the National Small Industries Corporation (NSIC) and the Polish Agency for Enterprise Development (PARP) to promote collaboration in the MSME sector.

Focus on technology, innovation and market access

The meeting concluded with both sides expressing their commitment to strengthening bilateral cooperation in areas such as:

Enterprise development
Digital transformation
Technology and innovation
Market linkages
Trade and investment
Institutional partnerships
Greater interaction between the MSME ecosystems of India and Poland

The discussions reflected the shared intent of both countries to deepen economic engagement and create new opportunities for MSMEs through enhanced bilateral cooperation.