Poland positioning itself as gateway for Indian companies seeking wider EU market

Milwaukee: Poland wants more Indian investment in clean energy, information technology and industrial sectors and is positioning itself as a gateway for Indian companies seeking access to the wider European Union market, Finance and Economy Minister Andrzej Domanski has said.

In an exclusive interview with IANS on the sidelines of the G20 Trade Ministers’ Meeting here, Domanski made a direct pitch to Indian companies looking to expand their presence in Europe.

“For sure, it’s the clean energy transition. For sure it’s the IT sector. For sure, it’s some industrial sectors where India is strong in,” Domanski said when asked where Poland wanted to see greater investment from Indian companies.

But the minister said Poland’s proposition went beyond individual sectors. Its membership of the European Union, he said, could make the country a base for Indian businesses targeting the broader European market.

“We believe that Poland could be a very interesting hub for Indian investments in Europe,” Domanski said.

“We are a member of the European Union, so by investing in Poland, Indian companies get access to the European Union market,” he said.

The remarks signal Warsaw’s interest in developing a two-way investment relationship with India as Poland looks for new economic partners beyond its traditional markets.

Domański said Poland’s economy was expanding rapidly by European standards. He estimated GDP growth at between 3.5 and 3.6 per cent this year.

“Poland will be among the fastest-growing European economies. Actually, the fastest growing large European economy, both this year and probably next year,” he said.

That economic performance, Domanski said, had not diminished Warsaw’s push to develop new trading relationships.

“We are constantly looking for new important trading partners and India, a giant, a leader in Asia, well, it’s a country that we really like to have closer trade relations,” he said.

The minister also stressed Warsaw’s interest in building predictable and lasting economic ties with New Delhi.

“We see India as a global leader. We see India as a country of very ambitious people, like Polish people,” Domanski said.

“We want to build strong and stable trade relations with partners, partners like India,” he said.

Poland is a member of the 27-nation European Union and its single market. India and the EU have also been working to deepen their economic relationship, giving Poland an additional role as New Delhi seeks stronger commercial engagement with Europe.

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