Poland's biggest defence firm WB Group eyes deeper India ties as Tusk visits New Delhi

Poland’s biggest private defence company is seeking to expand its footprint in India, with its co-owner predicting that WB Group drones will be manufactured in the country as early as next year.

Adam Bartosiewicz, vice-president and co-owner of WB Group (also known as WB Electronics), spoke to WION's Sidhant Sibal while accompanying Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk on a visit that included key talks with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Defence cooperation featured prominently in the discussions. This is the first time in a decade that a Polish PM is visiting India.

“I’m very proud that the Prime Minister has mentioned our name in our involvement in the defence of India,” Mr Bartosiewicz said. “Similar to our involvement in the defence of Ukraine, it looks like we are everywhere.”

WB Group has supplied loitering munitions and other unmanned systems that have seen extensive use in the Ukraine conflict. The company says this has given it more than a decade of operational experience.

Also Read: Netanyahu dials PM Modi, invites him and Capt Smit Machchhar to light torch on Israel’s Independence Day

“Our accumulated experience from that conflict resulted not only in technologies that have been battle-proven but also it allows us to have a lot of foresight for the future [about] how drones will evolve, ”Mr Bartosiewicz said.

He argued that India and Poland are well placed to cooperate on both drones and satellite technology, which he described as increasingly interconnected. “Those two worlds connect and in the future, it will connect even more,” he said.

High-altitude operations and the communications challenges posed by mountainous terrain, he added, make satellite integration particularly relevant for Indian conditions.

Mr Bartosiewicz said the company is already adapting its platforms for the Indian environment and has supplied systems previously used by the Indian military. Looking ahead, WB Group’s stated ambition is to build a substantial local presence rather than simply manufacturing abroad.

“Our ambition is to establish WB India as the grand house of India, exactly like we have achieved… in our part of Europe,” he said. The plan includes engaging local engineering talent for joint development work, not only assembly. “Apart from just pure manufacturing processes, we will also see a lot of future for joint developments. Eventually, in the future, also independent developments in WB India.”

Asked directly whether Indian-made WB drones would appear soon, he replied: “Yes, in the very next year. It’s not an overstatement.”

The comments come as India and Poland seek to strengthen defence industrial cooperation amid India’s “Make in India” drive and Warsaw’s expanding role as a European defence producer. WB Group, Poland’s largest privately owned defence technology firm, has grown rapidly through exports of unmanned systems and related technologies.