Minister of Industry and Trade Karel Havlíček (ANO) flew to India with a business delegation on 11 October 2026. The trip is scheduled to last from Monday 12 to Thursday 15 October. Besides Delhi, the delegation is due to visit Bengaluru and Mumbai; the programme includes three business forums.[1][2]
Programme
Before departure, Havlíček said he is to meet the Indian prime minister Narendra Modi, but added that this would happen unless something extraordinary occurs. He is also due to hold talks with the Indian ministers of transport, aviation, defence and energy and with representatives of selected companies. By his own account, he wants to support Czech firms on the Indian market and strengthen cooperation, for example in aviation, transport or energy. The ambition is to sell more trains, aircraft and products of the engineering and defence industries; according to the minister, part of the contracts has been agreed in advance. He called the trip the largest business mission in several years and said that trade is made easier by the agreement between the EU and India.[1][2]
Delegation and trade balance
Jan Rafaj, president of the Svaz průmyslu a dopravy, said the delegation includes representatives of companies and institutions from a range of sectors, among them Škoda Transportation, and that the programme is intensive.[1][2]
According to the Czech Statistical Office, the balance of foreign trade with India was negative for Czechia in 2024 and 2025. In 2024 the deficit was about CZK 12 billion; in 2025 it was roughly CZK 1.4 billion lower.[1][2]
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Chronology
- — Minister of Industry and Trade Karel Havlíček (ANO) left for India with a business delegation, where from Monday to Thursday he is to meet, among others, Prime Minister Modi and visit Delhi, Bengaluru and Mumbai. ČTK / České noviny iDNES.cz