- Prime Minister Modi will be the first Indian PM to visit Slovakia, tentatively on June 14-15
- India-Slovakia relations date back to 1918, Slovakia's Ambassador to India said
- Defence and nuclear energy cooperation are key pillars of the growing strategic partnership, per the envoy
In what is being described as a landmark moment in India-Slovakia bilateral relations, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to make history by becoming the first to hold the post to visit Slovakia, with the visit tentatively scheduled for June 14-15.
Slovak Ambassador to India Robert Maxian, in an exclusive interview with NDTV's Aditya Raj Kaul, called the visit "a landmark event in Indo-Slovak ties" and signaled that the two countries are entering an ambitious new chapter of engagement spanning defence, nuclear energy, trade and people-to-people ties.
Relationship Older Than Most Realise
While India and the independent Slovak Republic formally established diplomatic ties 33 years ago following Czechoslovakia's peaceful dissolution in 1993, Maxian was quick to point out that the roots of the relationship run far deeper. "I would really count our joint relationship since 1918," he said, referencing the establishment of Czechoslovakia and noting that India's first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru met Slovak Foreign Affairs Minister Vladimir Clementis in Slovakia as far back as 1938.
Indian Maharajas visited Slovak spas for decades, and Czechoslovak industrial brands like Tatra, Sigma and Bohemia had a significant Slovak manufacturing footprint that found its way into Indian markets post-Independence, Maxian added.
Trade Surge And India-EU FTA Dividend
Perhaps the most striking statement from the interview was that about the dramatic acceleration in bilateral trade. "The business has been increased by 100 per cent in the span of three years," Maxian revealed. "From 2023, we had total business of 800 million euros. In 2025, the business was 1.6 billion euros."
He attributed this growth to a deliberate policy of identifying strategic sectors, and expressed confidence that the recently concluded India-European Union Free Trade Agreement - described by the Ambassador as "the mother of deals" - would further catalyse investment and commerce.
Major Indian companies including Amara Raja Batteries, Jaguar Land Rover and Tata Auto Components already have a significant presence in Slovakia, signalling that bilateral investment flows are no longer one-directional.
Defence, Nuclear Energy, New Frontiers
Defence cooperation remains a cornerstone of the partnership. Slovakia has been a supplier of military hardware to India since 1993, providing Howitzers, flight mission simulators, recovery vehicles and chemical detectors to the Indian Ministry of Defence and ordnance factories.
Crucially, Maxian noted that India has now also become a supplier of military hardware to Slovakia - a sign of the relationship maturing into a genuine strategic partnership.
On nuclear energy, Maxian said Slovakia generates 65 per cent of its electricity from nuclear power, giving it deep institutional expertise. "We have vast experience from running nuclear plants, from decommissioning, and from issues regarding nuclear waste storage," he said, adding that an existing Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the two countries' nuclear authorities is set to be strengthened.
India's Workforce Finds Second Home
One of the most remarkable dimensions of the bilateral relationship is the growing Indian workforce in Slovakia. Indians have become the second-largest foreign workforce in the country, after Ukrainians. "As of now, we are employing 11,000 Indian people in the Slovak industry. We need more than one lakh of the workforce from India," the Ambassador said, adding that demand far outstrips current supply.
The Slovak Embassy has doubled its consular capacity to process visa applications, but Maxian acknowledged the demand remains overwhelming, urging applicants to prepare documentation diligently.
Bollywood, Yoga, Soft Power
Soft power, too, is bringing the two nations closer. The film Chehre, starring Amitabh Bachchan, was shot in Slovakia. Maxian, who himself first visited India in 1991 as a student at the Indian Institute of Foreign Trade, recalled learning Hindi from the iconic film Sajan. "I really would like to call Indian film producers to visit Slovakia and use it as a filming destination," he said, noting the country's record number of castles per capita, scenic valleys and thriving yoga culture.
With PM Modi's visit now imminent, both sides appear poised to convert decades of goodwill into a genuinely transformative partnership.
