PM Modi’s arrival in Oslo marks the first visit by an Indian Prime Minister to Norway in 43 years. Received by Prime Minister Jonas Store at the airport, a rousing welcome awaited PM Modi from the Indian Diaspora – Saath Saath, a confluence of Indian and Western Music and Rhythms of India, a vibrant medley of Indian dance traditions.
With an ambitious target of becoming a $7 trillion
economy by 2030- the third largest global economy, India is steadily
diversifying both its export markets and sources of capital inflows. However, prolonged
geopolitical conflicts and their disruption to secure trade and supply chains
have intensified India’s challenge of sustaining steady growth. For a rapidly
expanding economy like India, with an insatiable demand for resources, an
uninterrupted and reliable flow of inputs is indispensable. Beyond resources,
India must harness advanced technologies to stay ahead of the curve.
Nordic countries hold a distinct edge in niche
technologies. India’s evolving partnership with Norway is thus vital for its
grand vision- one that seeks to make India future-ready and enable its rise as
a global leader. Knowledge and technology are the two important pillars of
India-Norway ties.
The futuristic development of India essentially has
four important aspects- Infrastructure development & urban planning;
emerging technologies &AI; green transition and space & deep-sea
exploration. To manifest this objective, India signed a Trade and Economic
Partnership Agreement (TEPA) with the technologically advanced European Free
Trade Association (EFTA) comprising Switzerland,
Norway, Iceland, and Liechtenstein in 2024, which became
operational from Oct 1, 2025.
TEPA is about
talent, technology and mutual trust. Structured to generate FDI into
Indian markets, the deal pledged $100 billion investment over 15 years. The
first tranche of $50 billion will be spread across 10 years, and the remaining
$50 billion in the next five years. The agreement is expected to generate 10
lakh jobs in 15 years.
Building on TEPA’s momentum, India and Norway elevated
their ties to a Green Strategic Partnership.
Reflecting their shared resolve to combat climate change, the
partnership will advance an inclusive green transition, blue economy, green
shipping and ports. Denmark was the first country with which India signed a
Green Strategic Partnership, and now Norway joins the select club.
At the heart of the partnership lies the quest for
sustainability. For developing countries, sustainability is the ultimate
nirvana- balancing economic growth, poverty eradication and environmental
conservation, all at the same time. With limited resources at disposal,
sustainable practices are not only desirable but essential to achieving both
economic progress and human development. In this context, the adoption of
advanced technologies becomes extremely crucial to climb the economic
trajectory. An important pillar of sustainability is the Green Economy.
The Green Economy has become Europe’s defining
strategy. With an FTA with the EU in place, India is accelerating its
transition to mitigate the impact of the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism
(CBAM) of the EU. To meet
the green energy compliances of Europe, India is also rapidly transforming its
core industries- overhauling its manufacturing, energy and regulatory
frameworks to align with
sustainability practices.
Aligning with these objectives, countries identified
three core areas of collaboration- circular economy (resonated with India’s
Mission LiFE), energy security and investments in renewable energy. Expanding
the ambit of cooperation in critical minerals, emerging technologies, AI and low-emission
solutions such as carbon capture, utilisation and storage (CCUS) is also on the
agenda.
India is now
emerging as a global hub for Maintenance, Repair, Overhaul (MRO), green
shipping and maritime services. Ten per cent of Norway’s ships are now built in
India. Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers(GRSE) signed an MoU with
Norway’s Kongsberg Maritime in June 2025 to co-design India’s first indigenous
Polar Research Vessel.
India and
Norway are maritime nations, and their Indo-Pacific and Arctic Council policies
are closely aligned. Norway has joined India’s Indo-Pacific Ocean Initiative
(IPOI). Norway supported India’s Arctic Research Station, Himadri at Svalbard. Operational
since 2008, Himadri has hosted over 400 scientists while winter deployments
commenced in 2023. The IndARC, an underwater observatory in Kongsfjorden,
positioned at 192 metres, active since 2014, has been studying the impact of
Arctic climate changes on Indian monsoons. ISRO’s satellite tracking and data
reception antennas at Svalbard are operational from 2026. They are crucial for
Earth Orbit Missions and polar monitoring.
The rapid
melting of Arctic glaciers is reshaping the trade routes and geopolitical
dynamics. While this opens new avenues for cooperation- such as logistics
expansion, polar research through the Arctic Council- the formalisation of
Arctic shipping by Russia and China is set to expand their footprint. The opening of the Northern Shipping Route
(NSR),which reduces travel time by 10 -14 days, raises strategic challenges. For
Nordic countries, India’s role becomes vital in balancing Russia’s influence.
Strengthening
technological cooperation, countries signed MoUs for joint exploration of outer
space, health, and a digital development partnership. Additionally, India has
signed MoUs with various Norwegian businesses for consultancy services in
tunnel construction, ocean energy, offshore wind energy, geomodelling and
innovation.
The Char Dham
Railway project is powered by Norwegian tunnelling technology. The key partners
in the project are Norwegian Geotechnical Institute, which specialises in
managing risks related to landslides and flash floods; Norwegian Consulting
Experts for tunnelling and Introsoft solutions for data analysis for tunnel
structural integrity.
After the
Galwan standoff, China restricted exports of tunnel boring machines to India.
New Delhi has planned several highways and tunnels along the strategically
important border areas. Centre has also acquired 120 acres of land in the
Chicken’s neck corridor to construct underground railways at a depth of 25-40
metres. Norwegian expertise can be hugely beneficial for India in developing
border infrastructure.
Other than
cooperation in specialised technologies, Norway has been a valued partner for
India in food, fuel and fertiliser security.
Norway’s Orkla (parent company of MTR and Eastern Condiments, Kerala)
has major investments in the food sector, Equinor supplies LPG and LNG to India,
and Yara International provides green ammonia.
The centrepiece of the partnership is Trilateral
development cooperation in third countries, especially the Global South
nations. Countries plan to support developmental initiatives through India’s
digital public infrastructure projects. As of now, India majorly participates
in this arrangement with the US, the UK, France, the UAE, Japan and the EU.
With this, Norway has positioned itself as an important partner for India.
Norway is a relatively small trading partner of India.
The bilateral trade of goods is $1.05 billion, and services account for $ 1
billion. With a cumulative investment of $990 million (FDI rank 33rd),
over 160 Norwegian companies operate in India. However, the Foreign Portfolio Investor
(FPI) of the Norwegian Government Pension Fund Global (GPFG) has consistently
risen in the past decade (roughly $30 billion) to become the 7th
largest investor in 2025.
Bilateral trade is definitely not of specific interest
to India. Norway has one of the largest sovereign wealth funds worth $2
trillion, which prioritises investments in clean energy. Having set a target of
500 GW of clean energy
and 5 million tonnes of green hydrogen by 2030, India is keen to unlock the sovereign
wealth fund for clean energy investments.
Addressing
the delegates at the India-Norway Business and Research Summit, PM Modi briefed
about the next-generation reforms -labour, tax and governance in India to
improve ease of doing business and encouraged companies to invest in India.
India’s large markets, massive talent pool for innovation, and geopolitical
alignment make it a valuable partner for Nordic countries keen on scaling up
green technologies and unlocking investments. By conferring the highest
civilian award on PM Modi, the Norwegian government has honoured his efforts to
strengthen this win-win partnership.
During his
two-day visit, PM Modi participated in the third India-Nordic summit hosted by
PM Stokes. The Nordics are a group of five small countries. Over 700 Nordic
companies operate in India, and each of the Nordic countries has
sector-specific strengths – Norway in energy transition, maritime &
shipping; Sweden in defence, digital tech and fintech innovation, Denmark in
renewable energy, robotics, biotech; Finland in gaming, telecommunication and
Iceland in geothermal energy. The Nordic zone is the global powerhouse for
innovation.
In the last
decade, Nordic countries' investment in India increased by 200%. PM Modi is
intensifying engagement with the Nordic countries to equip our industrial
ecosystem with emerging and critical technologies.
PM Modi’s visit
to Norway was successful in terms of outcomes. However, it became the subject
of critical commentary due to hitjob of journalist from an obscure Norwegian
media agency. Her open rebuke of India’s Freedom of Press ranking and heckling
has exposed the colonial kit in action. Ahead of PM Modi’s arrival in Oslo, a
Norwegian publication carried out a cartoon depicting him as a snake charmer.
Titled- ‘A sneaky and slightly annoying man’, reeking of European imagery-
uncivilised, primitive and exotic, the racial animus was explicitly evident.
Notorious for
its moral posturing, Norway, punches above its weight and exerts ‘outsized’
influence in international discourse. It frequently champions democracy,
freedom of speech and human rights while sitting in moral judgement of other nations
despite its own ignominious record. Indigenous Sami communities have suffered
systemic discrimination and human rights violations at home. Under the guise of
promoting democracy, Norway has destabilised regimes in Libya, Ethiopia, Syria
and Colombia. Financially powering the vast NGO networks in South Asia through
the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (Norad) and its embassies orchestrated
attempts to undermine the regional sovereignty. Norwegian envoy’s secret
meeting with Prashant Kishore ahead of Bihar election deepened scepticism about
its political agenda. India has often resented Norway’s statements on domestic
issues and asserted
For all its
grandstanding, Norway chose to normalise relations with China after Beijing
banned salmon imports after the Norwegian Nobel Peace Committee awarded the Nobel
prize to Chinese dissident Liu Xiaobo in 2010. To stabilise ties, the Norwegian
Royal Couple on their China visit in 2018 feigned ignorance about the
internment of 1.5 million Uighurs. Norwegian activism and its interventionist
foreign policy have been the source of doctrinal dissonance in India-Norway
ties.
Prolonged
geopolitical conflicts, strained trans‑Atlantic ties, and great‑power rivalries
are driving nations toward interest‑based partnerships. To hedge against
strategic dependence, European countries are seeking flexible, multipolar
alignments. Striking a balance between ideological disagreements and economic
goals, despite Norway’s scandalous activism, PM Modi is reaching out to Nordic
countries to strengthen India’s energy security and environmental resilience. Leveraging their expertise in green technology
and niche innovations, India intends to accelerate its transition toward
sustainability while continuing to assert its sovereignty and pluralism.
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