Abstract:

India and Greece have a shared history of civilizational interaction since the Indo-Greek kingdoms. Nevertheless, bilateral interaction has historically not had strategic depth. With new defence cooperation, converging maritime interests, and changing geopolitical trends in the Indo-Pacific and Eastern Mediterranean, the relationship is assuming new salience. This paper analyses the trajectory of India–Greece relations and looks into emerging fronts of strategic collaboration. The study finds the present policy gaps and suggests pragmatic recommendations to upscale the partnership amid regional re-alignment and multipolarity.

Introduction:

India has traditionally enjoyed friendly bilateral ties with Greece. This has been mainly characterized by the political support that each country has shown for the other on the core position at the international level including the United Nations. Over the recent years, we have seen close personal ties have also been forged between the leaders of both the countries. We have seen Greece has shown consistent support to India on sensitive issues and security cooperation which includes the Jammu & Kashmir, Reforms in the United Nations, supporting India for permanent membership at the UN Security Council, Expansion of the permanent and the non-permanent members of the UN Security Council, and India’s membership to various non-proliferation regimes like the NSG (Nuclear suppliers’ group) etc. After India’s Nuclear test in Pokhran in 1998, while many European nations were opposing and demanding sanctions against India, the then Greek Defence Minister paid a bilateral visit to India in December 1998 and signed an MoU on India-Greece Defence cooperation. India has similarly consistently shown support for Greece on its international interests in issues like the Cyprus, and its positions on the maritime issues with Türkiye.

Example of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Greece visit on 25^th August 2023 marking the first visit by an Indian PM to the country in 40 years.

As the ancient civilisation, the two countries share strong diplomatic ties. But as Indian External Affairs Minister Dr S. Jaishankar reiterated, the relationship is “comfortable, not ambitious”. PM Modi’s Greece visit upgraded this ‘comfortable’ status into upgrading India-Greece ties to “strategic partnership” which aims to deepen cooperation on the areas of trade, investment, security, defense, energy, infrastructure, tourism, agriculture and connectivity.

Literature Review:

Several academicians and historians have talked about Indo-Hellenic contact in antiquity. But less academic attention is paid to post-Cold War strategic development in the bilateral relationship. MEA releases, official Greek communiques, and think tank analysis (from ORF, IDSA, ELIAMEP) underscore recent developments but in an incomplete fashion. Outstanding gaps involve a lack of serious analysis on India–Greece defense diplomacy, soft power and cultural connectivity being underreported, and sparse policy-focused discourse on maritime cooperation within larger Indo-European alignments. Adding more of the sources from Government of India’s Ministry of External Affairs and Government of Greece’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
 

Research Methodology

Qualitative content analysis of bilateral treaties, strategic statements, and think tank studies.

Naval cooperation case studies, high-level bilateral visits.

Comparative analysis of foreign policy between Greece's relations with India and China.

Cultural diplomacy mapping through media archives, educational exchanges, and diaspora outreach. There would be a mixed method approach to do research for this article.
 

Revisiting India-Greece Historical and Civilisational Ties

The strong foundational ties between India and Greece traces their origin back to the 6^th Century BCE. When the Greek merchants first arrived at the coromandel coast of India for trade. As trade flourished, there were frequent contacts and synergies between the Greek and Indian emperors. While the outcome and efforts of Alexander’s invasion into India in 326 BCE continue to be surrounded by vagueness and speculations, the happening certainly generated diverse cultural, scientific, and economic exchanges between the two civilisations.

1. Political

While King Alexander returned back to Greece, many of his soldiers and generals stayed back in the north-west region of India, where they had established their colonies and small kingdoms amalgamated into Indian cultures and they were called as Bactrian Greeks. King Alexander’s army commander-in-chief, Seleucus Nicator, who founded the Seleucid Empire in India but later ceded parts of his empire after his conflict with the mighty Chandragupta Maurya. This period also saw the first ever Indo-Greek political marriage between Chandragupta Maurya and Helena, the princess daughter of Seleucus.

At this time, the Mauryan Empire had hosted Greek Ambassadors such as Megastenes, Deimaches, and Dionysies.

Later, Demetrius invasion of India in 180 BC that had led to the establishment of the Indo-Greek Kingdom encompasses of Southern Afghanistan and parts of Punjab.

2. Art, Architecture and language:

Both India and Greece have shared a rich heritage of knowledge, wisdom, and mystics. The Greeks had introduced the features of Hellenistic art in the North-West Frontiers of India and influenced the style of the Indian architecture, evidenced in the sculptures of the Gandhara School and Mathura School of Art.

The influence is seen in the Graeco-Roman style of Buddha Statues and Stupas found in the regions adjoining the Indo-Greek Bactrian empire. The shared culture is also exhibited in the similarity in the languages spoken and scripts employed in the two civilizations. The mural paintings such as Ajanta also showcase Greek influence.

This is again demonstrated in the Ashoka inscriptions using Greek scripts. There was a paralleled scientific progress and exchange of ideas in the field of Astronomy and Astrology. Many Greek words were translated into Sanskrit by the Indian Scholars via Yavana jataka translated by Yavanesvra into Sanskrit Kushanas coins and inscriptions were also made use of Greek alphabets and legends via Rakatak inscriptions which describes the rule of Kanishka, employs Greek script. Greek influence can also be witnessed in the Indian drama traditions. Sanskrit word for the curtains used in the theatre in Yavanika which apparently comes from the word Yavan, which means, Greece. More interestingly the W and Yavan comes from lonia. This can be argued that the use of curtains was a Greek practice which was adopted by the Indians.
 

3. Religion & Philosophy

India and Greece also shared a religious and philosophical connections. The philosophy of Pyrrho who accompanied Alexander to India, shares marked convergence with the beliefs and tenets of Buddhism. The strong diplomatic and religious ties were exhibited even during Ashoka who had sent emissaries to the Greek empire. Under the Indo-Greek patronage, Buddhism flourished and was propagated across conjoining the regions. Menander I, the Greek King of India, was one of the patrons of Buddhism and the subject of the celebrated work Milinda panko.

The two civilizations also share a historical tradition of democracy, with the city-state of Athens being the first democratic political entity and parallelly some Indian village republics also exuding a certain semblance of democratic tradition.
 

4. Trade and Economy During ancient times

Greek traders exported to India goods such as glassware, oil, pigments, and metals while importing commodities like wines, corals, pearls, sandalwood, semiprecious stones, textiles and spices.

The hordes of centuries-old coins from the Roman and Greek empire found in the Southern part of India points out the flourishing trade between India and Yavanas (Greeks).
 

Therefore, the close ancient cooperation between the two civilizational powers was subsequently stagnated and eroded due to disruptions unleashed by colonial invasions in both the countries.

 

The Geopolitical Convergence: When the Indo-Pacific meets the Mediterranean

The revitalised ties is a common vision for an open, inclusive and the rules-based order in the Indo-Pacific region where the majority of the global trade passes through, as well as the concerns of stability in the Mediterranean region at the cross roads of Europe, Asia and Africa. Both India and Greece, both historic maritime nations, share a commitment to the maritime stability in accordance with the law of the sea, particularly in the provisions of the UNCLOS, and respecting the full sovereignty, territorial integrity, and the freedom of navigation benefitting international peace, stability and security, which both India and Greece emphasised in their joint statement.

China in the Mediterranean region, maintains a very strong security and economic presence, which is strategically significant for energy-hungry India given its 112 trillion cubic feet of gas and 1.7 billion barrels of oil reserves.

Greece’s vital and strategic location in the Eastern Mediterranean, and its status as Greece is member of both EU and NATO member, renders the potential gateway for India into the EU, particularly for the Indian companies seeking entry in Europe via the part of Piraeus-the region’s largest port and a key hub for Asia-Europe connectivity.

India-Greece Strategic Partnerships: Defence, Maritime and Shipping

A huge caveat looms over this optimism-not with standing the EU’s goals to de-risk strategic sectors from Chinese investments, The Chinese state-owned Shipping comparing COSCO with its 60% stake controls the Piraeus port, often referred to as the “Dragon Head” of the China’s Belt and Road Initiative. Greece’s advanced logistics infrastructure with its ports, strategic location and prominent shipping industry will contribute to deepening the continent’s trade ties with India.

The Two countries have always benefitted from the defence cooperation. Despite sanctions imposed on India by the Western countries post India’s Pokhran nuclear test in May 1998, Greece had signed a memorandum of understanding on Defence cooperation with India in the same year.

Both India and Greece have engaged in various joint naval exercises in the Mediterranean Sea and have also participated in the multinational air force exercise named INIOCHOS-23, INIOCHOS-24 and INIOCHOS-25.

The Greek F-16 fighter jets have participated in the Indian Tarang Shakti air exercise. Besides the maintenance of the maritime security, A powerful geopolitical imperatives underpin this enhanced security cooperation.

Co-production of military hardware and technology exchanges are under the aspirations of “Make in India”, an initiative of India is being explored with Greece as well.

Military modernisation is an important aim for both India and Greece; Greece’s defence expenditure has increased from US$ 5 Billion in 2019 to US$8.4 Billion in 2022. Greece has also boasted the largest merchant fleet in the world, it represents 59% of the EU-controlled fleet, which makes a perfect fit for India’s blue economy ambitions as well.

The Cyprus Factor

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent Cyprus visit was an important stop to give a strong message to Türkiye, while the official agenda mainly focused on the cooperation, investment and strategic connectivity, the broader context is impossible to ignore the broader agenda for both India and Greece.

The Republic of Cyprus, which governs the Southern two-thirds of the island, continues to be internationally recognised as the legitimate government of all of Cyprus and has been a full member of the European Union since 2004. While the EU considers the entire island part of its territory, the EU law is suspended in areas controlled by the Turkish Republic of Northen Cyprus (TRNC) due to the unresolved political situations.

Confronting a tense geopolitical environment, India’s relations with Greece, Cyprus and Armenia have strengthened in the context of an emerging hostile Türkiye-Pakistan-Azerbaijan military axis, often referred to as the Three Brothers. While Ankara raise Kashmir issue at the UN and the other international forums, Athens and Cyprus have supported New Delhi’s stance on Kashmir as well as India’s bid for permanent seat at the UN Security Council. In return, India has always supported Greece and Cyprus on Turkish-occupied Northern Cyprus (TRNC) and its island dispute with Türkiye in the Aegeon Sea.

PM Modi’s visit to Greece in August 2023 and visit to Cyprus in June 2025 reflects alignment on geopolitical issues and countering China, Türkiye as well. India, Greece & Cyprus condemn international terrorism in all the forms.
 

India-Greece Economic Cooperation

India and Greece aim to double their bilateral trade by 2030, which valued around US$ 2 Billion in 2022-23 with its rebounded economy, Greece has returned to the global scene as a credible economic player.

For Greece, India has the Enormous potential market for its food products including olives, feta cheese, Greek Yoghurt, Retsina and Assyrtiko wines that compromise more than a third of Greek exports.

Plenty of infrastructure opportunities for the Indian companies in Greece also do exist- GMRs successful bid in 2017 for 850 million Euros Crete airport project has paved the way for this. Even though the Indian business and companies have regularly participated in the annual Thessaloniki International Fair, bilateral investments have remained below the potential. Greece hopes for Indian investments in strategic sectors including pharmaceuticals, renewable, technologies and agriculture in accordance with its Greece 2.0 plan for economic transformation.

The Tourism sector accounts for 25% of Greece revenue, and country emerging as a popular tourist destination with the Indians.

The India-Greece collaboration extended to connecting startups, addressing shipping and connectivity priorities, and exploring possibilities for closer cooperation in agriculture.

In Economic diplomacy, the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC), Prime Minister Narendra Modi saw as a significant contribution and opportunity to humanity’s long-term overall development and invited Greece to become an important strategic partner.

The India-Greece collaboration extended to the connectivity startups, addressing shipping, port development and connectivity priorities, and exploring possibilities for closer cooperation.

 

Challenges and Opportunities for India-Greece

India-Greece bilateral relations are growing in “Strategic Partnerships” but, there are various challenges which needs to be addressed to enhance India-Greece Partnership which are as follows:

Challenges

1. Lower Public and Policy visibility

• Though we have seen high profile visits from both the leaders of the country in the last two years, there is an absence of India-Greece discourse in major foreign policy circles and common public.

• There is less people-to-people engagement between two countries due to low tourism and diaspora exchange.

2. Geographical Disconnect

• There is no direct air connectivity (flights) on maritime trade routes between the two nations, making logistics and exchanges chromosome.

• The Physical distance between two nations high frequency bilateral cooperation expensive and more time consuming.

3. Third Party Interventions

• Countries like Türkiye and its proximity and tensions with Greece can limit Indian flexibility, especially given India’s balancing approach in West Asia Region.

• Chinese influence or China’s investments in the Piraeus Port through BRI would create friction or it may limit India’s influence in Greece and overall Mediterranean region in crucial sectors.

4. Asymmetric Focus

• Greece, as a nation being supportive to India on various issues like Kashmir, UN Security Council reforms and Permanent UNSC seat for India, but, is more deeply engaged with the EU, NATO and the politics of Mediterranean region.
   

Opportunities

1. Civilisational Soft Power and Cultural Synergy

• There is a rich India-Hellenic connections that provide a compelling soft power foundation.

• Both countries collaborated on Promotion of shared values: ancient democracies, philosophy, spiritual (Stoicism and Vedanta), art and architecture.
   

2. Strategic Maritime Convergence

• India is a key player in the Indo-Pacific region and Greece is a key player in the Eastern Mediterranean region.

• There is always a potential to develop a maritime security dialogue and participate in Mini lateral mechanisms (E.g.- India-Greece-France Trilateral exercises).

• Greek Ports (e.g.- Alexandroupolis, Thessaloniki) can act as access points for India into Europe under the India-Middle East-Europe-Economic Corridor (IMEC).
   

3. Geopolitical Convergence in a Multipolar World

• Both are middle powers promoting multipolarity, strategic autonomy and rule-based order.

• There can be strong alignment in UN votes on sovereignty and counter-terrorism.
   

4. Support on the Multilateral Issues

• Greece has consistently supported India’s bid for permanent UNSC seat.

• India and Greece support on the cross-border terrorism issue and Kashmir-related votes in the international forum.

• There is a scope for a coordinated diplomacy in the international law, climate change, and cultural preservation.

Policy Recommendation for Further Enhancement of India-Greece Relations

In the last 2 years, we have seen how India-Greece Relations have grown rapidly across political, economic, cultural and multilateral dimensions staring with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s historical Greece visit in August 2023 followed by the Prime Minister of Greece H.E. Mr Kyriakos Mitsotakis in February 2024 followed by Greek Foreign Minister H.E. Mr George Gerapetretis this year in 2025.

To enhance this strategic partnership between the two nations; the policy recommendations are as follows:

1. Institutionalism Strategic Engagement

Establish a bilateral strategic dialogue mechanism

• Convening annual Foreign Secretary level strategic dialogue supported by inter-ministerial working groups covering:

• Defence and Maritime Security

• Trade and Investment

• Education and Culture

• Technology and Innovation
   

Proposal of an India-Greece 2+2 Dialogue

• Begin consultations towards a 2+2 format at the level of Defence and Foreign Minister to institutionalise strategic coordination, particularly in the Eastern Mediterranean and Indo-Pacific theatres.

 

2. Advancing Maritime and Energy Cooperation

Leverage Greece’s Geostrategic Maritime Position

• Utilise Greek ports such as Alexandroupolis and Thessaloniki as European gateways for Indian goods and services under the India-Middle East-Europe Corridor (IMEC)

• Explore opportunities for Indian investment in Greek port infrastructure and logistics under a rules-based transparent framework.

Expand Defence and Maritime Security Engagement

• Initiate more bilateral naval exercises and increases Indian Navy port calls in the Eastern Mediterranean.

• Enhance cooperation in the anti-piracy operations, maritime domain awareness, and search-and-rescue (SAR) missions via capacity-building programmes.

Partner in Renewable Energy and Green Transition

• Encourage Indian public and private firms to explore solar, wind and green hydrogen investments in Greece under the EU’s green infrastructure goals.

• Establishment of Joint Task Force required between the two nations required between the two nations on clean energy innovation and financing.
   

3. Deepening Cultural, Civilisational and Soft Power Diplomacy

Launch ‘The Indo-Hellenic Civilisational Year

• To mark and celebrate 2,500+ years of Indo-Greek cultural exchange, co-organise exhibitions, academics conferences, youth festivals (get to know about India-Greece relations importance), and film screenings in both the countries.

• Promote India-Greece joint Archaeological missions digitisations of India-Greek artefacts, and develop shared heritage tourism circuits in both the nations.
  
  Enhance Academic (Knowledge Diplomacy) and Soft Power tools

• Establishing chairs in Indo-Greek civilisational studies at major Indian and Greek universities.

• Expand ICCR cultural programs in Greece supporting Indian languages, Yoga and Indian classical arts, education via Greek schools and universities followed by introducing Greek language and philosophy modules in Indian universities.
   

4. Supporting Rules-Based Multipolar Order

Coordination of Positions Between Both Nations on Regional and Multilateral Issues

• Enhance diplomatic alignment on sovereignty, UNCLOS, International Law and counter terrorism in UN and other multilateral forums.

• Maintain principled support for the sovereignty of Cyprus, while also managing relations with Türkiye and broader West Asia region.
  
  Exploring Trilateral or Minilateral Frameworks

• Build on shared values by exploring trilateral formats such as Cyprus, Armenia, France, Romania focusing on climate security, maritime law, AI and digital cooperation.
  
  Boosting Tourism in Both nations and People-to-People relations

• Launch Direct Flights/air connectivity between New Delhi/Mumbai/Bengaluru and Athens, followed by a Joint-Tourism promotion campaign.

• Simplifying Visa Rules for academic cultural and corporate and business travellers, and exploring Youth Mobility Scheme.

 

5. Ensuring sustainability and continuity
   
   Establishing long-term vision document (Vision India-Greece 2035)

• Outlining of a forward-looking bilateral roadmap that transcends political cycles and it builds an institutional memory for future governments and diplomats of India and Greece.
  
  Appoint special envoys for Indian-Greek cooperation

• Appointing special envoys like Former Ambassadors (Diplomats) and celebrities from both the nations as cultural ambassadors will help promote sustained engagement and public diplomacy across sectors.
   

The Way Forward and Conclusion

The India-Greece relations in the last 2 years have grown significantly upgrading it to “Strategic Partnership”. In the recent years, India has made and diversified its partnerships in the continent through various engagements with countries in the Mediterranean region.

India and Greece have built a strong foundation for their diplomatic ties, there is a potential for further deepening cooperation in trade, investment, tourism and international law.

The institutional mechanism of a strategic partnership will enable the world’s largest and the oldest democracies to translate their many areas of convergence into the sustained engagement and win-win for both sides.

I had the immense opportunity to listen to the Greek Foreign Minister H.E. Mr George Gerapetritis, a brief yet an impactful moment where a simple Greek greeting I had offered turned into a cultural bridge with a Foreign Minister reminding us that how diplomacy often begins with just a smile and a word.

References

“India-Greece Bilateral Brief”, *Ministry of External Affairs*, Government of India, August, 2023 (Accessed on June 2025)

https://www.mea.gov.in/Portal/ForeignRelation/India-Greece.pdf

“India meets Greece: Revitalizing the ancient civilizational ties”, *Usanas Foundation*, August 24, 2023 (Access on 7^th July, 2025)

https://usanasfoundation.com/india-meets-greece-revitalizing-the-ancient-civilizational-ties

 

“Modi in Cyprus: A subtle masterstroke aimed at Turkey?”, *The Economic Times*, June 17,2025 (Access on 7^th July 2025)

https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/india/pm-modi-cyprus-visit-significance-turkey-message-pakistan-g7-countries/articleshow/121902503.cms?from=mdr

 

Syros Vasileios Prof., “India and Greece: Rediscovery a civilisational kinship and building, a strategic partnership in 2025”, *Economic Diplomacy.in*, May 20, 2025 (access on 14^th July 2025)

https://www.economicdiplomacy.in/post/india-and-greece-rediscovering-a-civilizational-kinship-and-building-a-strategic-partnership-in-202

 

Economic Diplomacy Division, “India and Greece Forge Strategic Alliances, Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India, February 22, 2024 (Accessed on 14^th July, 2025)

https://indbiz.gov.in/india-and-greece-forge-strategic-alliances/
 

Malhotra Shairee, “A new dawn in India-Greece relations: Ancient civilisation to strategic partners, *ORF Online*, 28^th August 2023, (Accessed on 13^th July 2025)

https://www.orfonline.org/expert-speak/a-new-dawn-in-india-greece-relations-ancient-civilisations-to-strategic-partners