NEW DELHI, India, April 16 (ANI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday said that the combination of Austria’s technological expertise and India’s speed and scale will help build reliable global technology systems and supply chains, highlighting the long-standing cooperation between the two countries.
Addressing the press alongside Austrian Chancellor Christian Stocker during his official visit to India, Modi said that India and Austria have been reliable partners in infrastructure, innovation, and sustainability. He noted that Austrian companies have played a significant role in several landmark projects in India, including the Delhi Metro, railway infrastructure, clean energy initiatives, urban development, and engineering projects such as the Atal Tunnel in Himachal Pradesh and the Girnar ropeway in Gujarat.
The Prime Minister said Austria’s tunneling and engineering expertise has contributed significantly to India’s development efforts.
“India and Austria have been reliable partners in infrastructure, innovation, and sustainability. Whether it is the Delhi Metro or the Atal Tunnel built at an altitude of 10,000 feet in the Himalayas, Austria’s tunneling expertise has left a strong mark. From railway projects to the Girnar ropeway in Gujarat, and from clean energy to urban development, Austrian companies have been active participants in many engineering projects in India,” Modi said.
Speaking on future cooperation, Modi said Chancellor Stocker’s visit, accompanied by a large business delegation, would inject new momentum into trade and investment ties between the two countries.
He said India and Austria are looking to deepen collaboration in emerging and strategic sectors such as defense, semiconductors, quantum technologies, and biotechnology.
“Chancellor Stocker’s visit will bring new energy to trade and investment. We are very happy that he has come to India with a large vision and a strong business delegation. By combining Austria’s expertise with India’s speed and scale, we will ensure reliable technology and supply chains for the world. We will also strengthen our partnership in defense, semiconductors, quantum, and biotechnology, while further enhancing cooperation in engineering and technical education,” he said.
Modi also highlighted expanding cooperation in education and research, pointing to the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between IIT Delhi and Austria’s Montan University as a key step toward strengthening academic and technological exchange.
He said India’s talent pool can significantly contribute to Austria’s innovation ecosystem and productivity.
Recalling the Migration and Mobility Agreement signed in 2023, the Prime Minister said both countries will further promote mobility in the nursing sector, alongside boosting joint research and startup collaboration.
“India’s talent has the capacity to enhance Austria’s innovation and productivity. In 2023, we signed a comprehensive Migration and Mobility Agreement with Austria. Under this agreement, we will now further promote mobility in the nursing sector. We will also strengthen joint research and startup cooperation,” Modi said.
To enhance people-to-people ties, Modi announced the launch of the India-Austria Working Holiday Programme aimed at increasing youth exchanges between the two countries.
Referring to his 2024 visit to Austria—the first by an Indian prime minister in four decades—Modi said continued high-level exchanges reflect the growing depth of bilateral ties and expressed confidence that the partnership will evolve into a more innovation-driven and future-ready relationship.
“Let us make the India-Austria partnership innovation-centric and future-ready,” he said.
Stocker is on a four-day official visit to India. This is his inaugural visit to the country and his first official trip to Asia since taking office in 2025. (ANI)
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