Modi’s Historic Croatia Visit Boosts Trade Ties

Indian Prime Minister Modi’s Historic Visit to Croatia: Advancing Trade & Community Ties

June 18, 2025 – Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the current India leader and answer to “who is Indian prime minister” and “India PM name”, made his first-ever visit by an Indian prime minister to Croatia—landing in Zagreb to deepen economic and cultural cooperation. The Modi Croatia visit follows his travels to Cyprus and Canada, and aims to bolster bilateral momentum in trade, investments, and diaspora engagement. This visit comes after recent India Canada news highlighting strengthened ties between the two nations, where Modi met with the Canada prime minister to discuss various issues, including the growing Canada Indian population and topics like how to go to Canada from India for work or study.

Key Highlights of the Visit

• Bilateral Meetings: Discussions with Croatian PM Andrej Plenkovic and President Zoran Milanovic to expand cooperation in trade, defense sector, education, and culture, strengthening the bilateral relationship between the two nations.
• Business Forum: Launch of initiatives and pitch of investment opportunities—ranging from IT and renewables to pharmaceuticals and agro-industries, fostering economic cooperation Croatia and India.
• Community Engagement: Modi met with members of the Indian diaspora Croatia, reaffirming support for cultural and academic exchanges, promoting Indian culture abroad. The meeting also touched upon the Narendra Modi app, which has become a popular tool for diaspora engagement.
• Narendra Modi Today Schedule: The Prime Minister’s itinerary included a visit to a Croatian tech hub, showcasing India’s commitment to digital cooperation.

India–Croatia Trade Overview

Investment Highlights

• Indian FDI in Croatia: ~€40 million, particularly in IT (Infosys R&D centre in Karlovac), pharmaceuticals (ACG in Varaždin, Cipla in Zagreb), and renewables, contributing to Croatia’s startup ecosystem.
• Croatian Investment in India: Around €5.5 million in sectors like infrastructure, tourism, and defense

Mutual benefits: India gains a strategic foothold in EU markets, while Croatia benefits from Indian expertise in high-tech and green sectors, fostering digital cooperation and trade growth. The two nations are also exploring agriculture cooperation to enhance food security. Discussions also included potential collaboration in telecom infrastructure and healthcare centers.

The Indian Diaspora in Croatia

• Population: Grew rapidly—from ~7,500 in 2022 to over 17,139 by January 31, 2025.
• Demographics: Mostly short- to medium-term professionals—IT engineers, educators, students. OCI (82) and PR (21) holders also call Croatia home
• Cultural presence: Around 13–14 Indian families involved in Croat-Indian societies. ISKCON operates 9 centres across major cities
• Community hubs: InterNations hosts active Indian communities in Zagreb, Dubrovnik, Rijeka—organizing meetups, cultural events, and helping newcomers

Croats frequently engage in Indian dance, yoga, Ayurveda, Hindi language, and Sanskrit studies—highlighting a vibrant cultural exchange and promoting Indian culture in Croatia. The growing presence of Indian workers in various sectors has contributed to this cultural enrichment.

Why Modi’s Visit Matters

• Economic Diversification: Reinforces India’s strategy to deepen ties within EU member states beyond core Western nations.
• People-to-People Connect: Recognition of the growing Indian diaspora’s role in strengthening diplomatic ties.
• Long-Term Engagement: Momentum is being built on existing diplomatic foundations—agreements dating back to the 1990s in trade, culture, science and technology collaboration, transport, and taxation. The visit also explored potential cooperation in space-based applications for mutual benefit.
• Indo-Pacific Strategy: Modi’s visit underscores India’s commitment to expanding its influence in the Indo-Pacific region, with Croatia as a potential partner in this strategic initiative. This aligns with India’s broader geopolitical goals, as evident from operations like Operation Sindur, which demonstrated India’s naval capabilities in the region.

In Context: Croatia at a Glance

• Strategic EU partner: Population ~3.86 million, EU member since 2013; adopted the euro & Schengen in 2023
• Economic footprint: Exports ~$26 billion, imports ~$46 billion (2024), showcasing the Croatian economy’s potential

Quick Croatia Snapshot

Notably, Croatia has also made a mark on the global stage through sports—its national football team reached the FIFA World Cup final in 2018 and secured third place in 1998 and 2022, earning admiration for punching above its weight in international football. As a NATO member, Croatia also contributes to global peace and security efforts, including counter-terrorism initiatives. Croatia’s commitment to international stability is reflected in its improving position on the global peace index.

Final Thoughts

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Croatia goes beyond symbolism—it marks a deliberate push to enhance India Croatia trade, investment, academic collaboration, and cultural exchange. With robust diaspora growth and sectors ripe for collaboration, this visit sets the tone for stronger, multi-dimensional India–Croatia partnership moving forward, emphasizing science and technology collaboration and fostering the startup ecosystem in both nations.

The visit also highlights India’s growing global influence, as Modi continues to engage with world leaders at international forums like the G7 Summit. By strengthening ties with Croatia, India is not only expanding its European partnerships but also opening avenues for cooperation in maritime research and other strategic areas. This diplomatic engagement contributes to India’s broader goals of economic growth, technological advancement, and enhanced global standing, as reflected in the evolving India map of international relations.

This visit to Croatia, following closely on the heels of engagements with Canada and other nations, demonstrates the dynamic nature of India’s foreign policy under Modi’s leadership. It also highlights the importance of diaspora communities in fostering international ties, as seen with the growing Indian populations in countries like Canada and Croatia.

As India continues to expand its global footprint, visits like these serve to strengthen economic, cultural, and strategic ties. They also provide opportunities to showcase India’s technological advancements, such as the Narendra Modi app, which has become a tool for citizen engagement both within India and among the diaspora.

In conclusion, Prime Minister Modi’s visit to Croatia marks another step in India’s journey towards greater global influence and cooperation. It reflects a comprehensive approach to international relations that encompasses trade, culture, technology, and people-to-people ties. As India moves forward on this path, it will be interesting to see how these bilateral relationships evolve and contribute to India’s position on the world stage.