PM Modi’s Zagreb Trip Marks A Diplomatic Milestone For India-Croatia Ties, Why It Matters

Last Updated:June 18, 2025, 08:06 IST

PM Modi's Croatia visit aims to strengthen bilateral relations, focusing on trade, defense, culture, and academic exchanges

PM Modi will travel to Croatia at the invitation of Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenković. (Photo: X/narendramodi)

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Croatia on Wednesday, marking the first-ever visit by an Indian Prime Minister to the Central and Southeast European nation. With a population of around 3.8 million, Croatia is a member of both the European Union and NATO. The visit is being seen as a significant milestone in bilateral relations, underlining India’s deepening engagement with Europe.

PM Modi will travel to Croatia at the invitation of Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenković. During his visit, he is scheduled to hold bilateral discussions with Prime Minister Plenković and also meet Croatian President Zoran Milanović.

According to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), the visit reflects India’s commitment to further strengthening its partnerships with European nations. The two leaders had earlier met on the sidelines of the COP26 climate conference in Glasgow in November 2021 and at the India-EU leaders’ meeting in May 2021.

Trade & Investments

Bilateral trade between India and Croatia currently stands at USD 300 million. Indian investments in Croatia amount to USD 48 million, while Croatian investments in India stand at around USD 6 million, as per the MEA.

Croatian companies such as Infobip, Končar, and Altpro are active in India, while Indian companies like Infosys, Cipla, and Orient Green Power have established operations in Croatia. The two countries have also been expanding cooperation in innovation and startups. The India-Croatia Startup Bridge was launched in December 2021, and a 50-day India-Croatia Startup Challenge was organised in April 2022.

Defence Cooperation

Defence cooperation between the two countries has also gained momentum, with an MoU on defence cooperation signed in 2023. This agreement is expected to pave the way for increased collaboration in defence technologies and strategic sectors.

Cultural & People-To-People Ties

Cultural and people-to-people ties between India and Croatia are long-standing and diverse. Around 17,200 Indian nationals currently reside in Croatia. Historical connections can be traced back to the 16th century, with the Church of São Braz in Goa reportedly built by Croatians in 1563.

Croatian Indologist Ivan Filip Vezdin is credited with publishing the first Sanskrit grammar in 1790, and a commemorative plaque in his honour was unveiled in Thiruvananthapuram in 1999.

In 2024, Croatia celebrated Yoga Day with 65 events held across the country, underscoring the growing interest in Indian culture. Tourism is another area of cooperation, with an MoU signed between India’s Ministry of Tourism and its Croatian counterpart in 2019.

Sports has also emerged as an important area of collaboration. In 2019, Croatian football legend Igor Štimac was appointed head coach of the Indian national football team. A separate MoU was signed between India’s Sports Authority of India and the Faculty of Kinesiology at the University of Zagreb, further strengthening ties in sports education and training.

Academic exchanges have contributed significantly to building stronger relations. In 2019, an MoU was signed to establish an ICCR Sanskrit Chair at the University of Zagreb, which has maintained a Department of Indology for more than six decades. Various academic partnerships and exchanges have been launched to enhance cooperation in education and research, creating deeper people-to-people connections between the two nations.

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