PM Narendra Modi has concluded a high-impact five-nation tour covering the UAE, Netherlands, Sweden, Norway and Italy, aimed at accelerating trade, investment and technology partnerships as India deepens economic engagement with Europe amid global supply-chain realignments and geopolitical uncertainty. The visit is being viewed as one of India’s most strategically significant economic outreach efforts of 2026.
Key Highlights
- PM Modi secured major trade, energy and technology partnerships across UAE, Europe and Nordic economies.
- Strategic deals boost India’s investment pipeline, clean energy cooperation and long-term bilateral trade expansion.
The last leg in Italy was a diplomatic breakthrough, as PM Modi and Italian PM Giorgia Meloni declared bilateral relations as a “Special Strategic Partnership". Both countries have ambitious plans of EU 20 billion in bilateral trade by 2029 against more than EU 14 billion achieved in 2023, a proposed increase of almost 43% in the next five years. It covers key sectors such as the critical minerals industry, defence production, agriculture, maritime transportation, AI and the prevention of economic crime, in addition to cooperation.
Nordic and Dutch Partnerships Expand Technology and Green Investments
One of the highlights of the trip was the participation of PM Modi in the third India-Nordic Summit in Oslo, the first-ever visit of Indian Prime Minister to Norway in 43 years. The leaders of Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Finland and Iceland agreed to cooperate on investments in Arctic research, clean energy, infrastructure for the blue economy, offshore wind and hydrogen fuel systems as well as the research of next-generation technologies in the field of telecommunications (6G).
PM Modi met the CEOs of 60 top European industrial companies in the European Round Table for Industry in Sweden. Topics discussed included India's semiconductor ecosystem, AI-powered manufacturing, electric mobility, supply-chain development, industrial automation. Despite this, Sweden is still one of the leading investors in India with already 280+ Swedish businesses running in the Indian market, which include companies such as Volvo, Ericsson, IKEA and SKF.
Also Read: PM Modi Pitches India's Investment Vision to Europe's Top CEOs
Meanwhile, momentum for bilateral trade continued to build in the Netherlands. India's trade with Netherlands was valued at $27.8 billion in FY25, ranking the Netherlands as one of the top European trading partners for India. Together with the Dutch Prime Minister Rob Jetten, Modi agreed on a new strategic map for the various areas of cooperation, including semiconductors, water security, digital infrastructure, logistics modernisation and investments in green hydrogen.
