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India - Czech Republic
India's relations with the former Czechoslovakia, and with the Czech Republic, have always been warm and friendly. Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru accompanied by his young daughter Indira GandhI visited Prague in 1938, and subsequently influenced the strong condemnation of the 1938 Munich Pact by the Indian nationalist movement. Diplomatic relations with Czecho-slovakia were established on November 18, 1947. Presidents Dr. S. Radhakrishnan, Giani Zail Singh and R. Venkataraman visited Czechoslovakia in 1965, 1983 and 1988 respectively. Prime Minister Nehru paid a visit in 1955, as did PM Indira Gandhi in August 1972 and Rajiv Gandhi in August 1986. Foreign Minister Jiri Dienstbier made the first high level contact after the Velvet Revolution in November 1990. Indian Minister of State for External Affairs R. L. Bhatia was the first non-European Minister to visit the Czech Republic following the dissolution of the CSFR. High level visits have been maintained after the Czech Republic came into existence after bifurcation of Czechoslovakia on 1 January, 1993. From the Indian side President Shankar Dayal Sharma visited in October 1996; Shri Omar Abdullah, Minister of State for External Affairs visited in February 2002; Shri Balasaheb Vikhe Patil, Minister of Heavy Industries & Public Enterprises in September 2002; Shri Anant Geete, Minister of Power in June 2003; Shri George Fernandes, Defence Minister in October 2003 and Shri Digvijay Singh, Minister of State for External Affairs in September 2003. From the Czech side President Vaclav Havel visited India in February 1994; Prime Minister Mr. Milos Zeman in March 2001; Minister for Industry & Trade Mr. Vladmir Dlouhly in March 1993; Foreign Minister Josef Zieleniec in June 1993; Minister of Industry & Trade Dr. Karel Kuehnl in October 1997; Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs Ms. Helena Bambasova in March 1996; Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs Cyril Svoboda in April, 1997; Minister of Defence Mr. Vladimir Vetchy in February 2001; Minister of Industry and Trade Mr. Miroslav Gregr in March 2001; Minister of Finance Mr. Pavel Mertlik in March 2001; Minister of Agriculture Mr. Jan Fencl in March 2001; Minister of Industry & Trade Mr. Jiri Rusnok in August 2002 and February 2003; Dr. Miroslav Somol, Deputy Minister of Industry & Trade in January 2003; and Minister of Defence Mr. JaroslavTvrdik in February 2003; Dr. Miroslav Somol, Deputy Minister of Industry & Trade in December 2004 andMr. Martin Simonovsky, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Transportin February 2005. President Vaclav Havel received two prestigious Indian awards (i) Indira Gandhi Peace Prize (during his State Visit in February 1994) and (ii) Mahatma Gandhi Peace Prize in January, 2004. More recently, President Vaclav Klaus and Mrs. Livia Klausova paid a State Visit to India in November 2005. Prime Minister Jiri Paroubek visited India in January 2006. He was also the Guest of Honour at the Partnership Summit of the Confederation of Indian Industry at Kolkata. Foreign Minister Schwarzenberg visited India in 2007 where he met External Affairs Minister Mr. Pranab Mukherjee.
Minister for External Affairs
Mr. S.M. Krishna
Shri Kamal Nath, Minister of Commerce and Industry led an official delegation to Czech Republic in September, 2008. Confederation of Indian Industries Mission of 11 prominent companies also visited along with the Minister. A Business Seminar was organized during the visit. Minister of State for External Affairs Shri Anand Sharma led an official delegation from 7-9 September, 2008. Secretary Higher Education) also led a delegation in April, 2009 and had signed a Joint Declaration on cooperation in the field of Education. Minister for External Affairs Mr. S. M. Krishna visited Czech Republic in June 2009. Czech Minister of Industry and Trade Mr. Martin Riman led a business delegation of 19 Czech business companies to India in November, 2008. A delegation from Czech Academy of Sciences visited India in Feb 2009 and had signed two Agreements with Indian National Science Academy and Council of Scientific and Industrial Research of India for development of Science and Technology cooperation and Research and Development.
India - Czech Rep. Bilateral Trade (2000 - 2009)
Bilateral trade between India and the Czech Republic has gone up four fold in last five years (In million US dollars):
| YEAR | CZECH IMPORTS FROM INDIA |
CZECH EXPORTS TO INDIA |
TURNOVER |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | 181.051 | 201.649 | 382.700 |
| 2005 | 241.124 | 262.006 | 503.130 |
| 2006 | 266.374 | 398.910 | 665.284 |
| 2007 | 401.754 | 552.518 | 958.272 |
| 2008 | 510.628 | 634.839 | 1,145.467 |
| 2009 | 456.371 | 604.232 | 1,060.604 |
The two countries enjoy Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement, which was signed in October 1998. The Bilateral Investment Protection and Promotion Agreement (BIPPA) is under negotiation. The two countries are also discussing a new trade and economic agreement, which will replace the existing trade agreement signed in 1993. Both the countries have an Agreement on Scientific, Technical and Industrial Cooperation since 1973 and a new Programme of Cooperation is under negotiations and may be signed very soon. We have an Agreement on cooperation in the field of Health and Medical Science, Air Transport Agreement (1997) and Agreement on peaceful uses of Atomic Energy. Czech companies have contributed to India’s industrialisation. A number of Czech companies and experts have worked with Heavy Engineering Corporation. Skoda Power has been a technology licensor to BHEL. Java is a popular motor cycle in India. There is an interesting story about its model Yezdi. Indian engineers working on the model were experiencing difficulties. The Czech engineers then took over, and started the motor cycle. They exclaimed “Yezdi,” which means in Czech ‘it runs’. Though the Czech meaning may not be known to its Indian customers, the model has remained popular for years. While Skoda Auto has some problems in Czech Republic due to economic slow down in 2008, in India Skoda Auto achieved a record sales growth of 28.5 %. The company achieved record sale of 16188 units in 2008 as compared to 12,596 units sold in 2007. Skoda has introduced Fabia in addition to Octavia, which is already a familiar sign on Indian roads. Arcelor Mittal has invested in a steel plant in the Czech Republic. An Indian textile company Alok Industries has similarly invested in a textile plant Mileta in Horice. The company manufactures textile material under the brand COTTONOVA. Tata Tea subsidiary the Tetley Group has acquired Czech tea company Jemča. MSSL Advanced Polymers s.r.o., located at Pardubice, and manufacturing plant at Dolní Redice MSP CZE Czech Republic is a subsidiary of Motherson Sumi Systems Limited, India, is engaged in manufacturing and supply of injection moulding components for mainly automobile sector.
Spentex bought your maker Schoeller Litvinov in 2007.
Avia Ashok Leyland Motors
Avia Ashok Leyland Motors is an example of Indian investment in the Czech Republic. AALM is located near Prague. It is producing trucks of 7.5 tons - 11 tons capacity. The installed production capacity is 20,000 vehicles per annum. It is supported by a state-of-the-art R&D facilities. The plant not only caters to the Czech market, but will also supply to Slovakia, UK, Ireland, Hungary and Spain.
Avia Truck
Infosys Facility in Brno
India’s premier software company Infosys has set up a facility in Brno, which has generated employment for more than 350 persons. It is expected to provide BPO as well as IT services to its clients in Europe. The Centre was inaugurated by President Vaclav Klaus.
Infosys employees with President Václav Klaus
Infosys started in 1982 with a capital of US$ 300. Its market capitalization exceeded US$ 30 billion in 2007. It is a successful example of globalization, and India´s achevements in IT sector. Talk with Infosys CEO Nandan Nilekani inspired Thomas Friedman to write his well known book “The World is Flat”. The book gives a hopefull message about the progress of globalization process.
India´s IT industry has invested overseas and generated employment in other countries. Infosys facility in Brno is an example. It employs 350 persons from more then dozen nationalities. Indeed, it is a miniature UN in operation, More than 70% employees are Czech nationals.
Down the Memory Lane
Exhibit at Lobkowicz Palace
“Woman in Indian Art Tradition”
In the medieval ages the Kingdom of Bohemia (now a part of Czech Republic) traded with India. There are records of Indian jewellery and precious stones brought to Czechoslovakia from India. During the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the Charles University in Prague, the second oldest university in Central Europe, had many Sanskrit scholars. Marco Polo’s work Million was translated in Czech. Marco Polo sailed along the southern and western shores of India, and visited some coastal regions. His book provided readers with interesting details of Indian customs, trade and political conditions. Odoricus Boemus (1286-1331), a Fransciscan monk of Bohemian origin also travelled to India. After visiting Thanna, he sailed along the Malabar coast, then went inland into what is today’s Tamil Nadu, he continued via Andaman Islands to Sumatra, Java and South China. His travel book known as Itinerarius Orientalis (Oriental Itinerary), records Indian customs. It contains an interesting description of pepper growing in India. Pepper was one of the oldest Indian exports to Europe nd was a highly prized commodity.
Otokar Feistmantel (1848-1891)
Czech palaeontologist and geologist, worked for the Geological Survey of India in Kolkatta from 1875 to 1883. He worked on site and travelled a lot during his stay in India. In ddition to his professional work as a geologist, he was also a sensitive observer of everyday Indian life, which he depicted skilfully in many paintings and sketches. His collection documents specific features of Indian arts and crafts in the second half of the 19th century. Thanks to him, many varied art, craft and ethnological items, were preserved outside India. His personal collection of paintings and statues now form part of National Museum. They were displayed in an exhibition organized by National Museum in Lobkowicz Palace at Prague Castle from November 21, 2007 till February 10, 2008 to mark the 60th anniversary of India’s Independence as well as 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations between India and the Czech Republic.
A deep impression was created in post-war Czechoslovakia by the visits of Rabindranath Tagore, the great Indian poet who won the Nobel prize for literature for his poem Gitanjali. Tagore visited Prague twice in 1921 and 1926. Professor Vincenc Lesný, of Charles University was the first European to have translated Tagore’s verses directly from the Bengali original to Czech. A vocal composition of the verses of Tagore’s poem, the Wandering Mad Man was rendered by Leoš Janáček. Rabindranath Tagore expressed his anguish at Czechoslovakia’s occupation. He wrote to Prof. Lesny on February 14th, 1939:
Rabindranath Tagore
“My dear Lesny, it was sad to read in your letter all the news about the great betrayal of your magnificent people at the hands of England and France. I met Mr. Nehru a few days back. He was in Central Europe at the time of the tragic happenings and he gave me a graphic description of the woes of the mutilation of Czechoslovakia. But it is there and you have but to submit to destiny. Let me only hope, your brave people will not lose heart and you will not fail to rebuild once again your own future”.
On 27 April 1934, an Indian Association was founded in Prague, as part of the Oriental Institute, in a meeting chaired by Professor Vincenc Lesný. Amongst the many guests, who attended the meeting, was Subhash Chandra Bose, who was then visiting Czechoslovakia. As President of the Indian National Congress, Bose founded a parallel Indo-Czechoslovak Society in Bombay. Nehru along with his daughter Indira Gandhi visited Czechslovakia in the summer 1938. He raised his voice in defence of Czechoslovak freedom and democracy. Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru became member of the Society.
The signatures of Neta ji Subhash Chandra Bose as well as
Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru are carefully preserved in Oriental Institute Prague.
As Prime Minister, Pandit Nehru paid a visit in 1955. PM Indira Gandhi visited in August 1972 and PM Rajiv Gandhi in August 1986.
Prof. J. Vacek, Director of
Institute of South and Central Asia
The history of Indian studies in Prague goes back to the beginning of the 19th century, when Czech revivalist discovered Sanskrit. The study of Sanskrit started in Charles University in 1850. The university now runs a full fledged Indology Center headed by Professor Jaroslav Vacek.
Dr. Dušan Zbavitel,
famous Indologist
An Indologist, who is an expert in Bengali language, Prof. Dushan Zbavitel has visited India in the 60s when he studied at Shantiniketan. He has been honoured by the Indian government which conferred the Padma Bhushan award on him in 2006.
Back to the Future
As the two countries enter 21st century, they display strong, resilient economies. Czech Republic achieved 6.4% rate of growth in 2007. The country maintains its reputation for technological excellence. India has emerged as an economic power house with leads in cutting edge technology, including space and IT.
Science and Technology
India has also made progress in cutting edge areas of science and technology. India is a space power and one of the four countries in the world with re-entry technology, having successfully launched and recovered a space capsule in 2007. The Indian success in software is now replicated in other fields as well. India has now emerged as a manufacturing hub in diverse sectors.
Information technology
India’s IT industry has grown from a mere US$ 150 million in 1991-92 to more than US$ 62 billion in 2010. The success of Indian IT industry is based on the excellence the of Indian education system. India is not only exporting software and IT services, it has started outsourcing jobs abroad. Infosys facility in Brno is an example of this, which has generated more than 350 jobs. Exports for the Information Technology (IT) and Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) sectors are expected to touch US $ 60 billion- US $ 62 billion in 2010-11, accroding to the National Association of Software and Service Companies (NASSCOM).
Some of the key drivers of growth of Indian IT Enabled Services - BPO exports are:
- Abundant Talent
- Sustained cost competitiveness
- Continued focus on quality
- World class information security environment
- Rapid growth in key business infrastructure
- Enabling business policy and regulatory environment
India in Space
India is amongst the few countries in the world which has mastered the re-entry technology. India successfully recovered space capsules launched by Polar Satellite Launch Vehicles in January 2007.
Space Capsule Recovery Experiment - SRE-1
Chandrayaan
India sent Chandrayaan, a lunar probe to the moon in 2008. The probe is studying conditions on the moon. This also carried 11 payloads, including five designated and developed in India, three from European Space Agency, one from Bulgaria and two from the United States.
NASA´s contribution includes the Moon Mineralogy Mapper, designed to look for lunar mineral resources, and an instrument known as Mini-SAR, which will look for ice deposits in the moon´s polar regions.
Chandrayaan - I
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