Commerce minister Piyush Goyal is leading a business delegation to Greece as India seeks to deepen bilateral trade, investment and startup collaboration between the two countries, PTI reported.During the visit, the delegation will participate in presentations and startup pitches at The Athens Startup Business Incubator (THEA), the commerce ministry said in a statement on Sunday.The programme will also feature a high-level business interaction bringing together leading industry stakeholders from India and Greece to explore opportunities for greater investment and commercial partnerships across priority sectors.The visit comes weeks after India and Greece held the 14th Foreign Office Consultations in New Delhi, where both sides reviewed cooperation across trade and investment, defence and security, education, culture, digital public infrastructure and people-to-people ties. They also reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening the India-Greece Strategic Partnership and combating cross-border terrorism, according to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA).According to commerce ministry data, bilateral trade stood at $1.28 billion in FY2025-26, with India’s exports at $1.07 billion and imports from Greece at $212.82 million, resulting in a trade surplus of $845.97 million.India’s major exports to Greece include aluminium, smartphones, engineering goods, pharmaceuticals, ceramic tiles, seafood and coffee, while imports comprise crude oil and petroleum products, aluminium scrap, marble, copper scrap, animal feed and medicines.
Gateway to Europe
The commerce ministry views Greece as a strategic gateway to Europe because of its location at the crossroads of Europe, Asia and Africa.Greece controls about 20% of the world’s shipping capacity and over 60% of the European Union’s merchant fleet, making it a key maritime hub. Tourism also plays a major role in the country’s economy, contributing nearly 30% of GDP directly and indirectly.
Growing investment links
Indian companies have steadily expanded their presence in Greece. GMR Airports is jointly developing the Euro 850-million Kasteli International Airport project in Crete with Greece’s GEK-Terna, while companies such as UPL and the Switz Group have also invested in the country.Greek companies including Coffee Island, Alumil, Titan, Eurobank, Pharmaten and Frigoglass have established operations in India, reflecting growing two-way business engagement.
