Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday arrived in Norway on the fourth leg of his five-nation diplomatic tour, marking the first visit by an Indian Prime Minister to the Nordic country in more than 43 years as India steps up engagement with Europe in strategic sectors such as advanced technology, clean energy, maritime cooperation and innovation.
Prime Minister’s Office confirmed Modi’s arrival in Oslo in a post on X, saying he was received at the airport by Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store.
“PM @narendramodi arrived in Oslo, Norway, a short while ago. He was received by PM @jonasgahrstore at the airport,” the PMO said, adding that Modi would call on Their Majesties King Harald V and Queen Sonja of Norway and participate in the third India-Nordic Summit during the visit.
The visit is being seen as a significant diplomatic milestone in India-Norway relations and part of New Delhi’s broader strategy to strengthen political, economic and technological partnerships with European and Nordic nations amid rising geopolitical uncertainty and disruptions in global trade and energy markets.
Soon after landing in Oslo, Modi described the visit as an opportunity to inject fresh momentum into bilateral relations and regional cooperation with Nordic countries. “Landed in Oslo, Norway. I’m grateful to Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store for the warm welcome at the airport. This is the first Prime Ministerial visit to Norway in over four decades. I’m confident it will add vigour to the India-Norway friendship,” Modi wrote on X.
The Prime Minister said his engagements in Norway would include meetings with the Norwegian royal family and detailed bilateral talks with Store on a range of strategic issues. “Tomorrow, on the 19th, the 3rd India-Nordic Summit will take place in Oslo, presenting a wonderful opportunity to meet my Nordic counterparts,” he said.
The India-Nordic Summit is expected to bring together leaders from Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden, with discussions likely to centre on green transition, renewable energy, innovation, digitalisation, Arctic cooperation and the blue economy.
Officials said Modi’s bilateral talks with Store would focus on expanding cooperation in trade, investment, semiconductors, artificial intelligence, clean technologies, resilient supply chains and maritime industries. India and Norway have steadily widened engagement in recent years in areas including renewable energy, fisheries, polar research, sustainable shipping and ocean economy initiatives.
The Norway leg forms part of Modi’s six-day, five-nation tour that began on Friday and includes visits to the United Arab Emirates, Netherlands, Sweden, Norway and Italy. The tour comes shortly after the conclusion of the India-European Union Free Trade Agreement and reflects India’s growing focus on building resilient strategic and economic partnerships with Europe and key Gulf countries.
The visit is also taking place at a time when global economies are grappling with geopolitical tensions, supply-chain disruptions and energy security concerns linked to developments in West Asia and Europe. New Delhi has increasingly sought to diversify its international partnerships while accelerating cooperation in critical and emerging technologies.
External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal had earlier said that Modi’s engagements during the multi-nation tour would involve a “wide-ranging agenda aimed at strengthening India’s global partnerships.”
The India-Nordic Summit, first launched in 2018, has become a key platform for enhancing India’s engagement with the Nordic region, which is widely recognised for innovation, sustainability and advanced industrial technologies. Officials said the latest summit in Oslo is expected to further strengthen collaboration between India and Nordic countries in addressing global challenges linked to climate transition, digital transformation and economic resilience.