OSLO, May 16 – Norway is preparing to welcome Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi this Monday for a historic two-day visit that promises to propel the Indo-Norwegian partnership into a new era. The first official visit by an Indian Prime Minister to Norway in 43 years, taking place on May 18–19, comes at a time when bilateral trade has more than doubled in a decade and a landmark free trade agreement is already delivering tangible results.
In a powerful symbolic gesture, Støre will personally welcome Modi at Gardermoen Airport, departing from standard protocol and setting the tone for what the Norwegian government has described as a “strong, vibrant, and strategically important relationship.”
The visit takes place just over six months after the India-EFTA Trade and Economic Partnership Agreement (TEPA) — covering Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein, and Switzerland — entered into force on October 1, 2025. That agreement has already reshaped market access, with Norwegian salmon now enjoying zero-tariff entry into the Indian market, and it provides the foundation for an ambitious new phase of economic cooperation.
“India, Norway and the EFTA countries agreed a free trade agreement in 2024 that entered into force last year. This was an important breakthrough for cooperation, and creates significant opportunities for both Norwegian and Indian business and industry,” .
Economic cooperation will take centre stage on Monday when the Norway-India Business and Research Summit convenes at Oslo City Hall. Trade and Industry Minister Cecilie Myrseth will lead the high-level summit, which brings together corporate leaders from both nations to deepen collaboration in trade, investment, clean energy, maritime industries and emerging technologies.
Crown Prince Haakon will join Prime Ministers Modi and Støre at a flagship business roundtable where approximately 30 commercial Memoranda of Understanding are expected to be signed, underscoring the rapid conversion of political goodwill into concrete business outcomes.
The India-Norway economic corridor has already reached substantial scale. India’s bilateral trade in goods and services with the Nordic countries now stands at US$ 19 billion. More than 700 Nordic companies operate in India, while around 150 Indian companies have established a presence in the Nordic region — figures that both sides expect to rise significantly as the TEPA framework matures.
On Tuesday, the focus will widen to the entire Nordic region as Oslo hosts the 3rd India-Nordic Summit. Modi will be joined by Prime Minister Støre, Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen (Denmark), Prime Minister Petteri Orpo (Finland), Prime Minister Kristrún Frostadóttir (Iceland) and Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson (Sweden) for wide-ranging discussions on deepening cooperation across multiple strategic fronts.
According to sources the summit agenda will cover:
· Green transition and renewable energy, including green hydrogen, smart grids and carbon capture
· Technology and innovation: digitalisation, cybersecurity and artificial intelligence
· Blue economy and maritime cooperation
· Arctic and polar research
· Defence and space collaboration
· Global governance reforms
A key deliverable expected from the visit is the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding on health and digital public goods, with a particular focus on trilateral cooperation for developing countries. The agreement is designed to combine India’s globally recognised expertise in digital public infrastructure — including its Aadhaar identity and UPI payment systems — with Norway’s strengths in health technology and development cooperation, creating scalable solutions for nations in the Global South.
A joint India-Norway statement is also expected to be issued, emphasising shared commitments on climate change, the green energy transition, the blue economy, scientific collaboration in the Arctic, and counter-terrorism cooperation.
The visit caps an extraordinary year of diplomatic intensity. In the past twelve months alone, six ministerial visits have taken place — three from each side — spanning petroleum, shipping, finance, fisheries, digitalisation and health. Prime Minister Modi will also call on King Harald V and Queen Sonja in a traditional audience that further symbolises the warmth of bilateral ties.
As Oslo rolls out the red carpet for the first visit of an Indian Prime Minister in more than four decades, the expected outcomes are clear: a strengthened India-Norway partnership built on shared democratic values, open markets, and a mutual determination to tackle the defining challenges of the age — from climate change to digital transformation.
The two-day programme will not only elevate bilateral ties but also inject fresh strategic energy into India’s broader relationship with the Nordic region, creating a blueprint for technology-driven, sustainable economic cooperation that stands as a model for Europe-India partnerships in the years ahead.
