Czech–India Industry and Business Forum Strengthens Bilateral Economic Cooperation and Innovation Partnerships
· Free Press Journal
The Czech–India Industry and Business Forum was successfully held on Thursday in Mumbai, bringing together government leaders, industry associations, research institutions, and businesses from both countries to deepen economic collaboration, promote innovation partnerships, and expand bilateral trade and investment opportunities. The Forum was launched in the presence of senior dignitaries and industry leaders from India and the Czech Republic. Delivering the keynote address, Karel Havlíček, First Deputy Prime Minister of the Czech Republic, emphasized the strong foundations of Czech–India relations and highlighted new opportunities in advanced manufacturing, technology, research, mobility, aerospace, healthcare, and industrial innovation. “We have come to India with immense respect for its people, its government, and the remarkable transformation the country has achieved over the past two decades. As India and the European Union move closer to a landmark Free Trade Agreement, we see tremendous potential to strengthen partnerships in technology, manufacturing, innovation, defence, and research, bringing our businesses and institutions closer together for shared growth and prosperity,” he said.
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Addressing the gathering, Jayakumar Rawal, Minister of Marketing, Government of Maharashtra, welcomed the Czech delegation and underlined Maharashtra's position as India's leading industrial and investment destination. “Maharashtra and the Czech Republic share a natural complementarity in advanced manufacturing, engineering, aerospace, innovation, and technology. We welcome Czech companies not only to do business in India, but to manufacture, invest, innovate, and grow with us as long-term partners, leveraging Maharashtra's industrial strength, skilled workforce, and world-class business ecosystem,” he remarked.
Mr. Jan Rafaj, President, Confederation of Industry of the Czech Republic, noted the growing interest among Czech companies in the Indian market. “India and the Czech Republic share a long history of successful industrial collaboration, and today we are ready to take that partnership to the next level. With more than 30 Czech companies representing sectors ranging from advanced manufacturing and transport to fintech, defence and innovation, we see tremendous opportunities to build new partnerships, invest together, and create solutions for both the Indian and European markets.,” he said.
Mr. Vir Advani, Chairman, CII Western Region, and Chairman & Managing Director, Blue Star Ltd, highlighted the increasing importance of industry-led partnerships. “The traditional buyer-seller relationship between India and Czechia is making way for a more ambitious model based on co-development, joint manufacturing, technology partnerships and innovation-led growth. The opportunity before us is not merely to increase trade volumes, but to build enduring partnerships between our companies, startups, research institutions and industry associations that will create solutions, innovate together and grow together,” he stated.
A major highlight of the Forum was the exchanging of three Memoranda of Understanding aimed at promoting research, innovation, and industrial collaboration. Agreements were exchanged between SINE IIT Bombay and INDRDC & CLAIRIS, Green Solutions and INDRDC, and PBS Group and MAX Aerospace and Aviation Private Limited. The Forum also witnessed the induction of CZIN.CC into the Federation of European Business in India (FEBI), further strengthening institutional cooperation between European and Indian business communities.
The program concluded with an extensive round B2B meetings between Indian and Czech enterprises. The business interactions provided participants with opportunities to explore partnerships across aerospace, advanced manufacturing, industrial technologies, sustainability solutions, research and development, and innovation-driven sectors. A networking luncheon further facilitated engagement among industry leaders, government representatives, investors, and entrepreneurs from both countries.
The Czech–India Industry and Business Forum reaffirmed the shared commitment of India and the Czech Republic to advancing economic cooperation, fostering innovation-led growth, and building enduring partnerships that contribute to prosperity and competitiveness in both nations.