India, Austria to deepen ties in defence, technology: PM Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday announced a major push to strengthen India-Austria ties across key sectors, including defence, semiconductors and quantum technology, during a joint press statement with Austrian Chancellor Christian Stocker in New Delhi. Welcoming the Austrian leader on his first visit to India, PM Modi said, “We are delighted that you chose India for your first trip outside of Europe. This reflects your vision and your commitment to India-Austria relations.”
Highlighting the significance of the visit, the Prime Minister noted, “The visit of an Austrian Chancellor to India after four decades is of immense significance… With Chancellor Stocker’s visit, we are taking India-Austria relations into a new era as well.” Referring to growing India-Europe engagement, PM Modi added, “Following the historic India-European Union Free Trade Agreement of 2026, a new golden chapter has begun in the relations between India and the European Union.”
PM Modi said, “India and Austria have been reliable partners in infrastructure, innovation, and sustainability.” He highlighted Austria’s contribution to key projects, adding, “Whether it is the Delhi Metro or the Atal Tunnel built at an altitude of ten thousand feet in the Himalayas, Austria’s tunneling expertise has left a strong mark.”  He further noted, “Austrian companies have been active partners in several of India’s engineering projects – ranging from railway projects to the Girnar Ropeway in Gujarat, and from clean energy to urban development.”
Austrian Chancellor Dr Christian Stocker termed his visit to India a milestone for Austria-India relations. He said that the diplomatic relations between Austria and India is much stronger than ever before. He also said that India is one of the most important trading partners outside the European Union for Austria, and bilateral trade has been developing very positively and has increased to about 3 Billion Euros in the last 10 years. Stocker said that 160 Austrian Companies are active in the Indian Market in many important sectors, including Semiconductor Production, renewable energy, automotive and Infrastructure. He emphasised that it shows that the friendship between the two countries is very broad-based. The Austrian Chancellor also underlined that India has an impressive GDP growth rate of about seven percent per year, and it is one of the most dynamic global markets and a key strategic partner for his country.