New Delhi [India], October 22 (ANI): Union Minister of Ports, Shipping & Waterways (MoPSW) Sarbananda Sonowal urged Polish companies to "build, innovate and invest in India" rather than only sell to it, as he pitched the country's growth story to business leaders from both nations.

Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal delivered the keynote address at the India-Poland Business Forum on Thursday, which was also attended by Poland's Prime Minister Donald Tusk. Sonowal recalled that Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Poland in August 2024 lifted ties to a strategic partnership.

"When Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Poland in August 2024, he and Prime Minister Tusk elevated our relations to a Strategic Partnership. They did so with a clear conviction: The India-Poland relationship must not only be strong in diplomacy; it must also be strong in business, technology, investment and innovation," said Sarbananda Sonowal.

 The aim now, he said, is for the relationship to be as strong in business, technology, investment and innovation as it is in diplomacy.

'India offers the scale of a large and growing market, the skills of a young and talented workforce, and the trust of a democracy committed to reform, enterprise and openness,' Sonowal said.

Sonowal argued that the two economies fit together. Poland, he said, has strengths in engineering, machinery, mining technologies, transport, environmental solutions and advanced manufacturing. India has the market, talent and manufacturing base to give those capabilities scale. 'My message to Polish companies is: do not only sell to India. Build in India. Develop solutions in India. Find Indian partners. And use India as a platform for growth,' Sonowal said.

Sonowal said that India, under the dynamic leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has set an ambitious target to generate 500 GW of non-fossil fuel power capacity by 2030, to put forth a strong Climate Action step by the country.

He put the investment needed at roughly 280 billion to 300 billion euros, with openings for equipment makers, storage, power grids, green hydrogen, recycling and environmental technology. Poland's experience in mining, critical minerals and clean energy could help, Sonowal said.

On technology, Sonowal noted that Indian IT companies have made Poland a base for their European operations and employ about 10,000 people there. He said the next step should go beyond IT services, into artificial intelligence, quantum computing, 5G applications, digital infrastructure, smart manufacturing and space.

The Union Minister proposed a Startup Bridge, an Innovation Corridor and an AI and Quantum Dialogue to link businesses, researchers and innovators in both countries. Trade between the two countries has reached $6.36 billion, and Indian investment in Poland exceeds $3 billion, Sonowal said. Polish companies are also active in India in packaging, manufacturing, waste-to-energy and electric mobility. He said the ambition should be larger than doubling trade by 2030.

'We should create together. We should innovate together. We should invest together. We should build trusted supply chains together. And we should succeed together,' Sonowal said.

He urged business leaders to see the India-EU free trade agreement as more than a trade pact. 'View it as a partnership multiplier,' he said. It opens a larger window into the Indian market for Polish firms, he said, and widens European opportunities for Indian ones.

Sonowal concluded by describing India's philosophy of "Power to Empower", stating that beyond the power to compete lies the power to collaborate.

 "India's growth can create opportunities for Poland. Poland's capabilities can add strength to India. And together, our businesses can create solutions for the world," he said. (ANI)