Slovakia's Ambassador to India, Robert Maxian, has praised India's 'Make in India' initiative and called for stronger defence industry collaboration between the two countries, ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's first-ever State Visit to Slovakia scheduled for 14–16 June. In an interview, Maxian described New Delhi as having achieved self-sufficiency across several sectors and urged defence companies from both nations to actively explore new avenues of cooperation.

Defence Cooperation: A Shifting Landscape

Ambassador Maxian acknowledged that the bilateral defence relationship has evolved significantly over three decades. 'Slovakia is a reliable partner in defence technologies. We are supplying defence technologies since the 1993 creation of the Slovak Republic. We have cooperated with the Ministry of Defence and public sector units and Indian Ordinance Factories. We have been one of the important suppliers of military hardware to India,' he said.

He noted that India's indigenisation drive under the 'Make in India' policy has reshaped the dynamic. 'After 30 years, the scenario has changed... India became self-sufficient in many areas,' Maxian added. Active collaboration reportedly continues across flight mission simulators, recovery vehicles, and chemical detectors. The Ambassador specifically invited Indian companies to participate in Slovakia's upcoming IDEB Exhibition, pointing to Aero India in Bengaluru and DefExpo as past platforms where Slovakia has engaged.

Modi's Historic Slovakia Visit

PM Modi is set to become the first Indian Prime Minister to visit Slovakia since the country's independence in 1993. The 14–16 June State Visit will include talks with Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico and President Pellegrini. According to Maxian, the two sides are expected to sign several agreements and Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) spanning investment, trade, innovation, artificial intelligence, and student and labour mobility.

'The overall message will be to encourage our companies, organisations, and universities to cooperate more closely together, to have more student exchanges, to have more tourism, to have more trade, investments,' the Ambassador said. He noted that around 6,000 European Union companies have already set up offices in India, and expressed his ambition to see more Slovak firms follow suit.

India-EU FTA and Economic Outlook

Maxian highlighted the recently concluded India-EU Free Trade Agreement (FTA), adopted in January this year, as a transformative framework for bilateral commerce. He said the agreement is expected to be enforced by the end of the year or early next year, and would reduce import duties, making goods more affordable for Indian consumers. 'It is rather the political agreement which will create a free trade zone of two billion people,' he noted.

On India's broader economic trajectory, the Ambassador pointed to a GDP growth rate of around 6% per annum and described India as the world's fourth-largest economy on course to become the third-largest. He cited advances in digitalisation, infrastructure — including metro networks and flyovers in New Delhi — and port development as markers of transformation over the past 12 years.

Slovakia's Indo-Pacific Strategy

Maxian also referenced Slovakia's recently announced Indo-Pacific strategy, in which India features as a key cooperating partner. He attributed this to India's rising middle class, growing consumer spending power, and its expanding influence in the Indo-Pacific region and on the global stage. 'In the last 12 or 15 years, India became a global power,' he said, reflecting on the country's transformation under PM Modi's leadership.

With the State Visit days away, both governments are expected to formalise a new chapter in India-Slovakia ties — one that moves beyond legacy defence supply into co-development, trade, and technology.