Prime Minister Narendra Modi on made a strong investment pitch to some of Europe’s most influential business leaders during the European Round Table for Industry (ERT) session in Gothenburg, Sweden, positioning India as one of the world’s most compelling long-term investment destinations. The high-level meeting, held during the third leg of Modi’s six-day multi-nation diplomatic tour, was co-hosted by Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, bringing together chief executives from Europe’s biggest corporations across technology, telecom, advanced manufacturing, clean energy, pharmaceuticals and digital innovation sectors.
Key Highlights
- PM Modi urged Europe’s top CEOs to accelerate strategic investments across India’s fast-growing sectors.
- Sweden and EU leaders backed deeper industrial cooperation amid strengthening India-Europe trade relations.
The session reflected India’s intensifying economic engagement with Europe as New Delhi seeks to accelerate foreign investment inflows while strengthening industrial and technology alliances amid shifting global supply chains and rising geopolitical uncertainty.
Modi Projects India as Europe’s Next Growth Engine
Addressing the gathering, Prime Minister Modi outlined India’s transformation into a global economic powerhouse and invited European corporations to deepen their long-term commitments to the country’s growth story.
PM Modi said India offers “predictable governance, policy stability, scale, talent, and unmatched market opportunities,” while emphasising reforms aimed at simplifying regulations, boosting manufacturing competitiveness, and accelerating digital transformation.
Speaking on the India-Europe economic relationship, PM Modi said, “India and Europe are natural partners in building resilient supply chains, clean technology ecosystems and future-ready industries.” He highlighted India’s emergence as a preferred destination for advanced manufacturing, green hydrogen, semiconductors, AI-driven innovation and defence technology partnerships.
PM Modi also underscored that India’s infrastructure expansion and technology-led growth model offer substantial opportunities for European capital and industrial collaboration over the coming decade.
European Leaders Back Stronger Industrial Partnership
Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson described Modi’s visit as a milestone in India-Sweden economic ties and expressed confidence that bilateral trade and industrial cooperation could expand significantly in the years ahead.
Kristersson said the evolving relationship reflects a broader European recognition of India as a strategic economic partner, adding that collaboration in green transition, advanced engineering, digital technologies and sustainable innovation would shape future growth.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen also reaffirmed the EU’s commitment to expanding trade and investment cooperation with India following the landmark India-EU free trade agreement announced earlier this year.
She noted that India’s scale, demographic advantage and technology-driven reforms make it central to Europe’s diversification strategy as global industries seek alternatives to concentrated supply chain dependencies.
Strategic Focus on Technology and Industrial Innovation
Executives participating in the ERT session reportedly explored opportunities across semiconductors, telecom infrastructure, electric mobility, artificial intelligence, climate technologies and resilient manufacturing systems.
The meeting also focused on enabling smoother cross-border investment frameworks and accelerating implementation of the India-EU Free Trade Agreement, which is expected to create fresh opportunities for market access, technology transfer and industrial partnerships.
Industry leaders welcomed India’s sustained policy reforms and digital governance initiatives, with several CEOs highlighting India’s rising role as a strategic manufacturing and innovation hub for Europe’s global operations.
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Sweden Visit Strengthens India-Europe Strategic Alignment
The Sweden leg of Modi’s broader diplomatic outreach follows successful engagements in the UAE and Netherlands, where India signed key agreements spanning energy security, infrastructure and climate resilience.
In Gothenburg, the focus shifted firmly toward economic diplomacy and industrial collaboration, reflecting India’s growing ambition to position itself at the centre of next-generation global supply chains.
As Europe recalibrates its economic partnerships and India accelerates its journey toward becoming a developed economy by 2047, the Gothenburg summit signalled a deeper strategic convergence between New Delhi and Europe’s industrial leadership.
