Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Norway on Monday, May 18, for a landmark visit that marks the first standalone bilateral trip by an Indian Prime Minister to the Nordic nation and the first PM-level visit from India in 43 years.
The visit combines bilateral engagements with Norway and participation in the 3rd India-Nordic Summit in Oslo, reflecting India’s growing strategic and economic focus on the Nordic region.
According to senior Ministry of External Affairs officials, “At the invitation of the Prime Minister of Norway, PM Modi is on an official visit for bilateral engagement and the third India-Nordic Summit which will be held on May 19.”
Prime Minister Modi is scheduled to hold talks with Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre on Monday, followed by an audience with King Harald V and Queen Sonja.
The two leaders will also jointly address the India-Norway Business and Research Summit, where discussions are expected to centre on trade, technology, investment and implementation of the India-EFTA Trade and Economic Partnership Agreement (TEPA).
TEPA PUSHES TRADE AND INVESTMENT TIES
The India-EFTA TEPA came into force on October 1, 2025, becoming India’s first free trade agreement with developed European countries. The agreement aims to attract $100 billion in investments and create one million direct jobs over 15 years.
India has also created a dedicated EFTA Desk under Invest India to fast-track projects and investments linked to the agreement.
Bilateral merchandise trade between India and Norway stood at nearly $1 billion in 2024-25, while India’s services exports to Norway touched $876 million in 2024.
Norway’s Government Pension Fund Global, regarded as the world’s largest sovereign wealth fund with assets nearing $2 trillion, has invested close to $30 billion in Indian capital markets.
A senior official said, “Apart from foreign direct investment, from which we get substantial amounts from various European partners, another investment that we get from Norway, for instance, is from the Government Pension Fund, which is about $28 billion. And we are looking to increase basically the investment that they have in Indian capital markets.”
Norwegian conglomerate Orkla ASA has also expanded its India footprint through ownership of MTR Foods in Bengaluru and Eastern Condiments in Kerala. The company now operates nine factories in India with over 4,000 employees and is preparing for an IPO.
India’s maritime sector has also emerged as a major area of cooperation. Cochin Shipyard is building eco-friendly vessels for Norway, while Norwegian firms have recently placed orders at Gujarat’s Pipavav shipyard. Indian shipyards now account for 11 per cent of the Norwegian Shipowners’ Association order book.
ARCTIC, SPACE AND MARITIME COOPERATION
India and Norway are also deepening cooperation in maritime security, Arctic research, science and advanced technologies.
Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers signed an MoU with Norway’s Kongsberg Maritime in June 2025 to co-design India’s first indigenous Polar Research Vessel.
The first India-Norway Maritime Security, Disarmament and Non-Proliferation Dialogue was held in Oslo in September 2025.
In the space sector, ISRO’s antennas at Svalbard became operational in 2026, strengthening India’s Arctic research capabilities.
India’s Himadri research station at Ny-Ã lesund, operational since 2008, has hosted more than 400 scientists, while winter deployments began in 2023. The IndARC underwater observatory in Kongsfjorden has been supplying data crucial for India’s monsoon forecasting since 2014.
Norwegian tunnelling technology is also being used in the strategically important Char Dham railway project in India.
The two sides are expected to advance cooperation in offshore wind, clean energy, carbon capture and storage, battery technology and Arctic scientific expeditions during the visit.
INDIA-NORDIC SUMMIT IN FOCUS
On Tuesday, May 19, Prime Minister Modi will participate in the 3rd India-Nordic Summit alongside the Prime Ministers of Norway, Denmark, Finland, Iceland and Sweden.
The summit series began in Stockholm in 2018 and was followed by Copenhagen in 2022.
Trade in goods and services between India and Nordic countries reached $19 billion in 2024. More than 700 Nordic companies currently operate in India, while nearly 150 Indian firms are present across the Nordic region.
The summit is expected to focus on investments under Make in India, green hydrogen, artificial intelligence, quantum computing, 6G technology, shipbuilding and climate financing.
Each Nordic country brings sector-specific strengths to the partnership — Norway in blue economy and Arctic affairs, Sweden in defence and industrial innovation, Denmark in green technology and maritime sectors, Finland in digital technologies and Iceland in geothermal energy.
The summit will also discuss the possibility of a dedicated India-Nordic Arctic cooperation mechanism, as all five Nordic countries are members of the Arctic Council.
Nordic nations have consistently backed India’s bid for permanent membership in a reformed UN Security Council and share common positions on Indo-Pacific security, rules-based order and climate action.
PEOPLE-TO-PEOPLE LINKS
Officials also see the visit as an opportunity to expand mobility and talent partnerships.
Norway, like much of Europe, is dealing with an ageing population, opening opportunities for Indian professionals and students in sectors facing labour shortages.
The Indian diaspora across Nordic countries is estimated at around 1,75,000.
Senior officials described the visit as a chance “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”.
The visit comes amid growing diplomatic momentum between India and Norway, with six ministerial-level exchanges taking place between the two countries over the past year alone.
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