From Mumbai to New Delhi: What the Cyprus President's India Visit Means for Us

Almost a year after Prime Minister Modi's landmark trip to Cyprus, the visit was returned. From 20 to 23 May 2026, President Nikos Christodoulides made a State Visit to India at the Prime Minister's invitation, his first as President. It came at a special moment, while Cyprus held the Presidency of the Council of the European Union.

Mumbai: business, memory and movies

The President landed in Mumbai wearing a grey Nehru jacket, a gesture that did not go unnoticed, and was accompanied by several ministers and a large business delegation. Highlights of the Mumbai leg:

• Remembering 26/11: at the Taj Mahal Palace hotel he laid a wreath for the victims of the November 2008 attacks, among them Cypriot businessman Andreas Liveras, and wrote that Cyprus stands in solidarity with India.
• Cyprus–India Business Forum: he told Indian and Cypriot business leaders that companies on both sides are at the heart of the new partnership, and also visited the National Stock Exchange of India.
• A new bank link: he attended the opening of Eurobank's representative office in Mumbai, the first by a bank from south-eastern Europe.
• Bollywood comes to Cyprus: the romantic film Ishqa was announced as the first Bollywood feature to be shot in Cyprus, with release planned for Valentine's Day 2027.

New Delhi: a Strategic Partnership

In the capital, the President held talks with Prime Minister Modi at Hyderabad House, and President Droupadi Murmu hosted a state banquet in his honour at Rashtrapati Bhavan. The key outcomes:

• Strategic Partnership: the two countries upgraded their relationship from a Comprehensive Partnership to a Strategic Partnership.
• Six agreements: covering a joint working group on counter-terrorism, diplomatic training, innovation and technology, search-and-rescue cooperation, higher education and research, and a cultural exchange programme for 2026–2030.
• Defence and security: a roadmap for defence cooperation from 2026 to 2031, and a new Cyber Security Dialogue.

Indian defence media have also reported that Cyprus is interested in buying Indian-made defence equipment, including BrahMos missiles and drones. No deal has been announced.

What it means for Indians in Cyprus

• Cheaper, faster money transfers are coming: alongside its Mumbai office, Eurobank launched a remittance service to India using UPI. It already works from Greece, and the Cyprus government has said Eurobank customers in Cyprus will have it before the end of 2027. It joins Bank of Cyprus, which has started offering transactions directly in Indian Rupees.
• More opportunities: closer business, education and technology ties open doors for students, professionals and entrepreneurs moving between the two countries.
• Culture on our doorstep: a Bollywood production filming in Cyprus, and a five-year cultural programme, mean more of India here at home.

Read also: When PM Modi Came to Cyprus: A Look Back at the Historic Visit and What Followed

Sources: PMIndia, ThePrint, CyprusMail1, CyprusMail2, CyprusMail3, CyprusMail4, FreePressJournal, ANI, RakshaAnirveda