- Prime Minister Modi visited the Netherlands to advance India-Europe economic and strategic ties
- Discussions in Sweden focused on trade, green tech, AI, defence, and climate cooperation
- Modi's Norway visit marks first PM bilateral trip in 43 years, emphasising clean energy and space
Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in the Netherlands on Friday evening as part of a broader diplomatic mission designed to advance India's economic interests and strategic partnerships across Europe. The trip is aligned with India's sustained efforts to build deeper political and economic ties across the continent. The momentum led to the India-EU Free Trade Agreement (FTA) earlier this year and comes as countries increasingly seek to reduce dependence on the US as a predictable strategic ally.
“The visit to the four European countries comes in the backdrop of the India-EU FTA that we finalised earlier this year. And the India–EFTA TEPA (Trade and Economic Partnership Agreement), which was entered into in 2025. During the visit, the third India-Nordic Summit will also take place,” the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said.
Netherlands (May 15-17)
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PM Modi is in the Netherlands till May 17 for a series of high-level engagements. This is PM Modi's second visit to the European nation, having last travelled there in 2017. The visit is set to feature bilateral discussions with his Dutch counterpart, meetings with King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima, alongside interactions with the Indian diaspora and business leaders.
“Our partnership has considerably deepened over the last few years across traditional sectors of trade, investment, and priority sectors of WAH, that is, water, agriculture, and health, as well as people-to-people ties. In recent years, cooperation has further expanded into strategic areas of technology, innovation, defence, security, semiconductors, renewable energy, education and the maritime domain,” the MEA said.
Cultural and community ties remain central to bilateral relations between India and the Netherlands. More than 90,000 NRIs and people of Indian origin reside in the country, alongside a sizeable Suriname Hindustani population exceeding 2,00,000. Dutch universities currently host around 3,500 Indian students.
A key development during the trip is expected to be the signing of an agreement between Tata Electronics and Dutch chip equipment maker ASML for the Dholera semiconductor manufacturing plant in Gujarat.
Sweden (May 17)
On May 17, PM Modi is set to visit Gothenburg in Sweden. This will be his second trip to Sweden since attending the first-ever India-Nordic Summit in 2018.
According to the MEA, the visit highlights the deepening strategic and technological engagement between India and Sweden following the establishment of the India-Sweden Innovation Partnership in 2018. Both countries now see significant scope for collaboration as complementary players in innovation and emerging technologies.
“During the visit, Honourable Prime Minister will hold consultations with the Prime Minister of Sweden covering the full spectrum of bilateral relations, including trade and investment, green transition, AI and emerging technologies, resilient supply chains, defence cooperation, space collaboration, climate action and people-to-people ties.”
India-Sweden economic relations are witnessing steady growth, with two-way trade rising to $7.75 billion in 2025. Business engagement has also intensified, with more than 280 Swedish companies now operating in India, while over 75 Indian firms have established a presence in Sweden.
Climate cooperation remains another key pillar of the bilateral partnership. In 2019, the two nations, together with the World Economic Forum, launched the Leadership Group for Industry Transition (LeadIT) at the UN Climate Action Summit in New York to drive decarbonisation across emissions-intensive industries. This collaboration was further strengthened with the unveiling of LeadIT 2.0 at COP28 in Dubai in 2023.
“Defence cooperation has also emerged as an important pillar of the bilateral relationship. Swedish company Saab has established its Carl-Gustaf manufacturing facility in Haryana, which is Saab's first such manufacturing facility outside Sweden and the first facility in India under the 100% FDI route in the defence sector,” as per the MEA.
Longstanding academic and cultural engagement continues to underpin relations between India and Sweden. The sizeable Indian diaspora in Sweden, numbering more than 90,000, serves as an important bridge between the two societies. PM Modi's visit is expected to strengthen ties in key areas such as trade, technology and talent mobility.
Norway (May 18-19)
As part of his Nordic outreach, PM Modi will visit Norway on May 18 for bilateral discussions with the Norwegian leadership and to attend the third India-Nordic Summit the following day.
This is the first time in 43 years that an Indian Prime Minister will undertake an exclusive bilateral visit to Norway.
“On 18 May 2026, the Prime Minister will hold talks with the Prime Minister Store. It would provide an opportunity to shape and develop an ambitious agenda of cooperation in the areas of trade and investment, innovation, clean and green tech, blue economy, and cutting-edge advancements.”
India and Norway are continuing to deepen cooperation in climate-related sectors, with discussions covering areas such as carbon capture and storage, offshore wind energy, battery technologies and energy efficiency. The two countries have also partnered on multiple Arctic research missions and capacity-building programmes.
Space cooperation has emerged as another important pillar of the relationship. In 2026, Indian Space Research Organisation installed antennas at the Svalbard facility of KSAT (Kongsberg Satellite Services).
Oslo will host the third India-Nordic Summit on May 19, bringing together PM Modi and the Prime Ministers of Norway, Denmark, Finland, Iceland and Sweden.
India's engagement with the Nordic region has grown steadily in sectors including clean energy, innovation, digitisation and sustainable technologies. Leaders are expected to review developments in bilateral and regional cooperation since the second India-Nordic Summit in Copenhagen in 2022.
The Prime Minister will hold bilateral meetings with the Prime Ministers of Denmark, Iceland and Finland on the margins of the Third India-Nordic Summit, the MEA said.
Italy (May 19-20)
Italy will be the final stop on PM Modi's Europe tour, with an official visit to Rome scheduled for May 19-20. While it will be his third trip to Italy, it marks his first dedicated bilateral visit to the country.
The itinerary includes meetings with the President of the Italian Republic and bilateral discussions with the Italian Prime Minister. The Prime Minister will also hold interactions with selected CEOs from India and Italy.
In addition, he is expected to visit the headquarters of the Rome-based Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). India has been associated with the UN body as a founding member since 1945.
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“Economic and commercial cooperation is a key element of our partnership with Italy. Bilateral trade is currently to the tune of €40 billion. We had three business fora last year, which has further provided boost to our bilateral trade in sectors such as manufacturing, automotive, machinery, pharmaceuticals, chemicals, textiles, infrastructure, logistics, food processing, and renewable energy.”
“Science and technology and innovation will be another area of focus of cooperation, which we will explore cooperation in emerging technologies, clean energy, joint research, and mobility of academic and researchers,” the MEA said. India and Italy have strengthened defence cooperation in recent years through institutional dialogues, closer service-level engagement and naval exchanges.
The two sides are also examining possibilities for collaboration in defence manufacturing, including co-production and joint development projects. Enhancing maritime security cooperation is likely to be another key focus area. Both countries already maintain close coordination on security matters, including a joint initiative announced last year to combat the financing of terrorism.
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