India-Estonia ties growing stronger in tech, startups, global diplomacy: Foreign Minister Tsahkna
By By Aman Sayyad, Tallinn, May 20
Estonia's Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna on Wednesday highlighted the growing India-Estonia cooperation in technology, AI, cybersecurity and digital governance, while noting that New Delhi can play a significant role in bringing peace to Europe by increasing diplomatic pressure on Russia amid the ongoing Ukraine-Russia conflict.
In an interview with ANI, the Foreign Minister described India's bilateral ties with Estonia as a "very important partner" and said both countries share strong potential for cooperation in digital innovation despite their vastly different population scales.
"Estonia is one of the most digitalised nations in the world, and India for us is a very important partner," he said.
Highlighting Estonia's globally recognised digital ecosystem, Tsahkna noted that Estonia has successfully transformed governance through technology over the past several decades.
"Scales are different. Estonia has 1.3 million people, and India has 1.4 billion. But actually, on digital cooperation, the scale is not important," he said.
The minister pointed to improving political engagement between the two nations and recalled Estonian President Alar Karis' visit to India earlier this year for the Delhi AI Conference, where he also met Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Droupadi Murmu.
Tsahkna also stressed Estonia's appeal as a destination for startups and entrepreneurs, especially through its e-Residency programme that allows foreign nationals to establish and manage businesses digitally in Estonia.
"Estonia is one of the best environments for startup companies," he said, adding that thousands of Indians have already joined Estonia's e-Residency ecosystem.
"All the taxation, all the bureaucracy - everything is very easy to become the e-resident of Estonia," he said.
On expanding opportunities for Indian startups and businesses, Tsahkna said Estonia is keen to strengthen partnerships between Indian and Estonian companies, particularly in the fields of AI, public digital services and innovation.
"Estonian companies are very innovative, and they have been practising already for decades about how to change societies using digitalisation," he said.
He further noted that AI solutions are already integrated into Estonia's public sector services in collaboration with private companies.
"What we expect is, of course, to enlarge the number of Indian companies coming to Estonia, to put these people together," he said.
Tsahkna suggested that Estonia could serve as a gateway for Indian firms seeking access to European Union markets, while Estonian companies are also looking for partnerships and opportunities in India.
"Maybe these Indian companies find a way through Estonia to the European Union markets and the other way around. Our companies are looking forward to partnerships in India and the region as well," he added.
Tsahkna also stated that Estonia wants peace in Europe but expressed concern that Russia has not shown a willingness to alter its objectives in the conflict.
"We want to have peace in Europe, but also we know that Russia, unfortunately, is not ready to change its goals," Tsahkna said.
Emphasising India's global influence, he added, "India is playing a huge role, and if India is putting more pressure on Russia, then we hope that Putin will change the course and we'll finally find peace in Europe."
Reacting to Prime Minister Narendra Modi receiving top civilian honours from Sweden and Norway recently, Tsahkna congratulated Prime Minister Modi and praised his growing international stature.
"My reaction is good; I'm very happy and congratulations to Prime Minister Modi," he said.
"Prime Minister Modi is always welcome to Estonia as well", the Estonian Foreign Minister added.
— ANI
Reader Comments
While I appreciate the cooperation, I'm wary of Estonia pushing India to pressure Russia. We have our own strategic interests and energy needs. Peace is important but diplomacy shouldn't be one-sided. India knows how to balance relationships.
The e-Residency program is genuinely impressive. I know several Indian entrepreneurs who've used it to access EU markets. Estonia may be small but they punch above their weight in innovation. Smart move for India to partner with them.
Interesting that the Estonian FM says "scale is not important" for digital cooperation. I think that's where India can contribute uniquely - our scale means we solve problems at a level no one else has. Imagine Estonia's AI + India's scale = game changer for digital public goods.
Estonia's digital governance is indeed world-class. From e-voting to digital prescriptions - they've done it all. India should definitely collaborate more. But please don't drag us into the Ukraine mess - we have our own neighborhood to worry about. 😅
As someone who's worked with Estonian startups, I can confirm they're incredibly innovative in AI and cybersecurity. This partnership makes perfect sense. India needs more such bilateral tech ties beyond the US-China axis.
We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.