India, Poland hold bilateral talks, discuss expanding collaboration in MSME development
New Delhi, July 15
The Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises held a bilateral meeting on Wednesday at Kartavya Bhawan, New Delhi, with a high-level delegation from the Republic of Poland led by Deputy Minister Michal Baranowski, Ministry of Economic Development and Technology, to explore opportunities for strengthening cooperation in the MSME sector.
Bharat Khera, Secretary, Ministry of MSME, highlighted the pivotal role of India's MSME sector in driving economic growth, employment generation and exports. He noted that India has over 86 million registered MSMEs, contributing nearly 30 per cent to the country's GDP, over one-third of manufacturing output, and nearly half of India's exports, while supporting the livelihoods of around 330 million people.
Secretary also highlighted the Government's initiatives to build globally competitive and future-ready MSMEs through digital transformation, innovation, technology adoption, sustainable manufacturing and improved market access.
He briefed the delegation on key flagship initiatives, including the Udyam Registration Portal, Credit Guarantee Scheme for Micro & Small Enterprises, Technology Centres and Zero Defect Zero Effect (ZED) practices.
Emphasising the growing strategic partnership between India and Poland, the Secretary, MSME, observed that Poland is India's largest trading and investment partner in Central and Eastern Europe. He noted that bilateral trade had grown 3 times since 2025, and expressed confidence that the recently concluded India-European Union Free Trade Agreement would further strengthen trade and investment ties and take the Strategic Partnership between the two countries to another level.
Deputy Minister Michal Baranowski appreciated India's remarkable progress in strengthening its MSME ecosystem and expressed Poland's keen interest in expanding collaboration with India.
He reaffirmed Poland's commitment to deepening institutional partnerships and promoting greater business-to-business engagement between enterprises of both countries.
The discussions also acknowledged the institutional engagement initiated in 2024 between the National Small Industries Corporation (NSIC) and the Polish Agency for Enterprise Development (PARP) to promote cooperation in the MSME sector.
The meeting aimed to strengthen bilateral cooperation between India and Poland in the MSME sector by enhancing collaboration in enterprise development, digital transformation, technology and innovation, market linkages, trade and investment, while facilitating stronger institutional partnerships and greater interaction between the MSME ecosystems of both countries.
— ANI
Reader Comments
Polish delegation coming to Delhi shows the world is taking India's MSME ecosystem seriously. But I hope the talks also focus on helping our small manufacturers adopt sustainable practices and digital tools. The ZED certification is good, but we need more ground-level support for Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities. Credit Guarantee Scheme is helpful, but banks still hesitate sometimes.
Interesting development. Poland is a key gateway to the EU market, and this could open up new opportunities for Indian MSMEs in areas like engineering goods, textiles, and IT services. The NSIC-PARP partnership from 2024 seems promising. Smart move by both governments.
As someone running a small manufacturing unit, I appreciate the government's efforts. But we need more than just high-level talks—easier access to credit, simpler compliance, and real market linkages. Poland's expertise in green manufacturing could be very useful for us. Hope the follow-up is concrete and not just paperwork.
Bilateral trade tripling since 2025 is impressive! MSMEs are the real engine of our economy—330 million livelihoods is no joke. The focus on digital transformation and technology adoption is the need of the hour. Kudos to the ministry for engaging with Poland, a country with strong industrial legacy.
Smart diplomacy. Poland has been a steady partner in the EU, and the Free Trade Agreement will make this even more impactful. India's MSME strength combined with Poland's innovation in manufacturing could create win-win outcomes. Looking forward to seeing concrete projects emerge from this meeting.
We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.