Prez Murmu's Moldova visit puts AI, clean energy at centre stage
India bets on AI training and power lines to deepen Moldova ties; Indian firms are keen to participate further in Moldova's renewable energy modernisation, says President Droupadi Murmu
President Droupadi Murmu's State visit to Moldova has opened new avenues for India's technology diplomacy and trade in Eastern Europe, with both countries agreeing to double bilateral trade and enhance collaboration in artificial intelligence, IT, and renewable energy. A major outcome is India's commitment to increase ITEC training for Moldovan professionals, particularly in AI, and the completion of a vital power transmission line connecting Romania to Moldova by an Indian company. The visit also saw the first India-Moldova Business Forum, bringing together Indian firms across multiple sectors to explore investment and partnership opportunities.
President Droupadi Murmu's State visit to Moldova has opened new avenues for India's technology diplomacy and trade in Eastern Europe, with both countries agreeing to double bilateral trade and enhance collaboration in artificial intelligence, IT, and renewable energy. A major outcome is India's commitment to increase ITEC training for Moldovan professionals, particularly in AI, and the completion of a vital power transmission line connecting Romania to Moldova by an Indian company. The visit also saw the first India-Moldova Business Forum, bringing together Indian firms across multiple sectors to explore investment and partnership opportunities.
President Droupadi Murmu's State visit to Moldova has opened new avenues for India's technology diplomacy and trade in Eastern Europe, with both countries agreeing to double bilateral trade and enhance collaboration in artificial intelligence, IT, and renewable energy. A major outcome is India's commitment to increase ITEC training for Moldovan professionals, particularly in AI, and the completion of a vital power transmission line connecting Romania to Moldova by an Indian company. The visit also saw the first India-Moldova Business Forum, bringing together Indian firms across multiple sectors to explore investment and partnership opportunities.
President Droupadi Murmu's historic first State visit to Moldova has opened a new frontier for India's technology diplomacy and trade ambitions in Eastern Europe, with both nations committing to double bilateral trade and deepen cooperation in artificial intelligence, IT and renewable energy.
Bilateral trade between India and Moldova remains modest, a fact MEA Secretary (West) Sibi George openly acknowledged when questioned by local media, attributing it to "multiple factors" while stressing that both governments have now committed to doubling trade volumes over the coming years.
| Fiscal Year | Total Bilateral Trade ($ million) |
| 2020-21 | 12.58 |
| 2021-22 | 9.12 |
| 2022-23 | 15.89 |
| 2023-24 | 16.75 |
| 2024-25 | 11.59 |
The Centre also invoked the recently concluded India-EU Free Trade Agreement, stating that it would help build momentum with Moldova even though the country is not yet an EU member but holds candidate status with special trade arrangements already in place with the bloc.
The first-ever India-Moldova Business Forum, held alongside the visit, brought together Indian companies spanning agritech, AI and IT, defence, e-commerce, engineering, pharma and venture capital, signalling the breadth of sectors India hopes to activate in Chisinau.
AI and digital cooperation
Technology emerged as one of the visit's clearest deliverables. President Murmu announced that India would double ITEC training slots for Moldovan professionals, with specialised programmes specifically focused on artificial intelligence, while Moldova was also offered a seat in the forthcoming professional course for foreign diplomats at the Sushma Swaraj Institute of Foreign Service, centred on AI and cyber diplomacy.
Both presidents' joint statement additionally flagged digital public infrastructure, fintech and cybersecurity as priority areas, reflecting India's growing practice of exporting its digital governance experience, such as its DPI stack, as a diplomatic and commercial tool. Officials described these commitments as part of a broader "3Ts" framework, trade, technology and tourism or talent, that India is now applying across its expanding Europe outreach.
Energy and infrastructure
A less obvious but significant technology angle emerged around energy infrastructure: Ambassador Manoj Kumar Mohapatra confirmed during the briefing that an Indian company has completed a high-voltage transmission line connecting Romania to Moldova, which now covers roughly 70 per cent of Moldova's energy network capacity.
President Murmu also noted that Indian firms are keen to participate further in Moldova's renewable energy modernisation, including solar power, battery storage, smart grids and green hydrogen projects, extending the countries' existing cooperation under the India-led International Solar Alliance, of which Moldova is already a member.
Moldova was also invited to join two more Indian-anchored multilateral platforms, the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure and the Global Biofuels Alliance, reinforcing India's strategy of using homegrown institutional frameworks to structure its clean-tech and infrastructure diplomacy abroad.