India and Hungary are seeking to deepen bilateral and regional cooperation after Hungarian Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Anita Orbán met Indian External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar in New York. The two ministers held bilateral talks and also took part in the first-ever V4+India foreign ministers’ meeting on the sidelines of the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly.

“We are starting the UN week in New York with the V4 and India,” Orbán wrote following the meeting.

The Hungarian foreign minister described India as one of the key players in global politics and the world economy, as well as an important trading partner for Hungary and one of the country’s most significant Asian investors.

According to Orbán, the four Visegrad countries – Hungary, Poland, Czechia and Slovakia – want to build stronger ties with India in areas including trade, technology, innovation, research and development, and water management.

India and Hungary continue high-level dialogue

Orbán and Jaishankar also held a separate bilateral meeting in New York.

The Indian minister described the talks on X as a “great first meeting” with Hungary’s deputy prime minister and foreign minister. The meeting marks another step in the high-level dialogue between India and Hungary, with both countries looking to expand cooperation beyond their existing economic ties.

Orbán said she had invited Jaishankar to Budapest, while she herself had been invited to New Delhi in March 2027 to attend the Raisina Dialogue.

The Raisina Dialogue is India’s flagship conference on geopolitics and geo-economics, organised by the Indian Ministry of External Affairs together with the Observer Research Foundation. It regularly brings together heads of state and government, ministers, policymakers, business leaders and experts from around the world. Orbán said Hungary would be represented at the event as an invited speaker.

India and Hungary
India and Hungary strengthen ties as foreign ministers meet in NY. Source: Facebook

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First V4+India foreign ministers’ meeting

The New York discussions also marked the first V4+India foreign ministers’ meeting, creating a new format for cooperation between India and the four Central European countries.

Jaishankar met Orbán alongside Polish Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski, Czech Foreign Minister Petr Macinka and Slovak Foreign Minister Juraj Blanár.

According to the Indian Ministry of External Affairs, the talks covered trade and investment, technology and innovation, resilient supply chains, defence and security, connectivity, education and mobility.

The participants also discussed strengthening direct cooperation between businesses, universities and research institutions.

One of the most concrete outcomes was an agreement to continue the format on a regular basis. The foreign ministers agreed to meet annually, while the countries also intend to establish an annual V4+India business forum to strengthen commercial links.

Global political issues were also on the agenda, including the war in Ukraine, developments in the Gulf region and reform of international institutions.

The Visegrad countries also expressed support for India’s aspiration to become a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council, according to statements following the meeting. Any expansion of the Security Council would, however, require a much broader agreement among UN member states.

Trade between India and Hungary has surged

The diplomatic push comes as economic relations between India and Hungary have expanded substantially.

According to the Embassy of India in Budapest, bilateral merchandise trade reached approximately USD 2.41 billion in 2025, compared with USD 1.29 billion in 2024.

Trade reached another USD 946.7 million in the first three months of 2026 alone. Indian investment in Hungary is estimated at approximately USD 3.3 billion, with Indian companies active in industries ranging from pharmaceuticals and information technology to manufacturing.

For Hungary, the figures help explain the growing diplomatic focus on New Delhi. India is not only an increasingly important economic partner but also a major Indo-Pacific power whose international influence has continued to expand.

The New York meetings therefore went beyond a single bilateral encounter. With annual ministerial consultations and a new business forum now planned, the first V4+India meeting could provide a more permanent framework for cooperation between India, Hungary and the wider Central European region.

As we wrote earlier, India’s Independence Day in Budapest highlights the deep Hungarian ties behind the celebration