Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal received the 'Exceptional Leadership in Elevating UK-India Relations' award at the Annual UK-India Awards 2026, as reported by ANI. The recognition comes as Goyal continues his diplomatic engagements, leading a high-level Indian business delegation to Athens, Greece, following his successful engagements in the United Kingdom. The visit comes after Goyal concluded his visit to the United Kingdom with the India–UK: Partners in Progress Business Plenary held in London, where leading industry stakeholders from both countries expressed firm support for the proposed Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) as a transformative framework for deepening trade and investment ties. The engagements in the United Kingdom, followed by the ongoing visit to Greece, reflect the Government of India's continued commitment under the leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi to strengthening global economic partnerships and advancing India's trade and investment diplomacy in key international markets.
During the visit to Greece, the delegation will participate in presentations and startup pitches at The Athens Startup Business Incubator (THEA), as reported by the commerce ministry in a statement. This initiative aims to foster innovation and entrepreneurial collaboration between Indian and Greek startups, providing a platform to showcase next-generation enterprises and promote cross-border innovation partnerships. The visit will conclude with interactions involving key business and institutional stakeholders aimed at deepening industry partnerships and expanding bilateral trade linkages.
The programme will feature a high-level business interaction bringing together leading industry stakeholders from India and Greece to explore opportunities for enhanced investment and commercial partnerships across priority sectors, according to the commerce ministry statement. The delegation will hold focused roundtable discussions with Indian and Greek industry leaders at the Athens Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ACCI), covering key sectors including infrastructure, digitalisation and defence, and food and agriculture. The discussions will identify new avenues for collaboration and strengthen private-sector partnerships. Additionally, the delegation will visit leading Greek enterprises to explore collaboration in advanced manufacturing and technology-driven sectors, strengthening industrial synergies between the two countries.
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, as reported by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA). During these consultations, both countries reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening the India-Greece Strategic Partnership and combating cross-border terrorism. The ongoing Greece visit represents India's strategic focus on expanding economic ties with European markets and strengthening commercial relationships across priority sectors.
