3 min readNew DelhiJul 25, 2026 05:08 AM IST
AT A time when Russia and Ukraine conflict has intensified with attacks on cargo ships in the Black Sea, India is seeking to build ties with Romania, offering New Delhi a trusted European Union gateway and partner towards maritime security. During President Droupadi Murmu’s ongoing state visit to the country, New Delhi and Bucharest have announced strengthening of defence cooperation, with both sides welcoming growing engagement between their respective defence establishments.
President Murmu is in Romania at the invitation of her counterpart Nicușor Dan, a visit by an Indian President after three decades.
India and Romania are looking to build a comprehensive partnership with a focus on expanding trade, investment, technology cooperation and people-to-people exchanges, said officials from the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Friday, briefing reporters.
Emphasising that the future roadmap would centre on the “3 Ts” of trade, technology and tourism, MEA Secretary (West) Sibi George said, “We are looking into a comprehensive partnership. It is a new chapter in the relationship, looking at doubling the trade.”
The two sides are also expanding cooperation in areas such as drone technology, aerospace, defence manufacturing and industrial collaboration, as per MEA. “Several Indian companies are exploring opportunities for co-development and co-production in the defence sector, including in civil and defence aeronautics and next-generation drone technologies,” George said.
Responding to a question on the future of India-Romania defence ties, George said India was focusing on indigenous defence production through its two defence corridors and was expanding collaboration with partner countries, including Romania.
President Murmu invited Romania to explore adopting India’s Unified Payments Interface (UPI) to facilitate trade and tourism. On Friday, Murmu — as part of her three-day visit to the East European country — visited Romanian Parliament, regarded as one of the largest administrative buildings in the world, and sought deepening of engagement between parliamentary institutions of both the countries.
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Murmu met President of the Senate of Romania Mircea Abrudean and President of the Chamber of Deputies of Romania Sorin Grindeanu at the Parliament Palace in Bucharest, her office said. The President also interacted with members of the India-Romania Parliamentary Friendship Group.
Romania is a valuable partner in the European Union and with the conclusion of India-EU Free Trade Agreement, bilateral economic partnership would strengthen further in the coming years, the MEA said while announcing the visit.