OSLO, Norway — India and the Nordic countries have agreed to elevate their relationship into a Green Technology and Innovation Strategic Partnership, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said Tuesday after the third India-Nordic Summit in Oslo.
Speaking at a joint press briefing with Nordic leaders, Modi said the partnership would combine India’s talent and technical capabilities with Nordic expertise in sustainability, maritime industries, clean energy and advanced technology.
“Today, we decided to give India-Nordic relations the form of Green Technology and Innovation Strategic Partnership. With this Green Technology Partnership, we will connect Iceland’s expertise in geothermal and fisheries, Norway’s expertise in blue economy and Arctic, and all Nordic countries’ expertise in maritime and sustainability to India’s skills to ensure a better future for the entire world,” Modi said.
“With the formation of this unique Strategic Partnership between us, we will connect Sweden’s advance manufacturing and defence, Finland’s telecom and digital technology and Denmark’s cyber security and health tech with India’s talent to develop trusted solutions for the entire world,” he added.
Modi said research and innovation would be a major pillar of the India-Nordic relationship, with both sides planning to expand ties among universities, laboratories and startup ecosystems. He also said cooperation would deepen in Arctic and polar research.
The prime minister said Nordic investment funds are becoming important partners in India’s growth. He said bilateral trade between India and the Nordic countries has grown nearly fourfold over the past decade, while Nordic investment into India has increased by almost 200%.
“In 10 years, our bilateral trade has increased almost four-times. Investment funds from Nordic countries are also becoming key partners in India’s rapid growth. In the last decade, investment from Nordic countries into India has increased by almost 200 percent. The rapidly growing trade and investment have not only contributed to India’s growth story, but have also played a very positive role in the economies of the Nordic countries and created thousands of new jobs. We have recently taken some important initiatives to take it to the next level,” Modi said.
He said recent trade agreements would help usher in what he called a new phase in relations between India and the Nordic countries.
“From October 2025, we implemented the Trade and Economic Partnership Agreement with Norway, Iceland, and other EFTA countries. And just a few months ago, we concluded the India-European Union Free Trade Agreement, in which Denmark, Finland, and Sweden are also partners. Through these ambitious trade agreements, we are set to usher in a new golden era in relations between India and the Nordic countries,” Modi said.
Modi said India and the Nordic countries are natural partners because of their shared commitment to democracy, the rule of law and multilateralism. He also thanked Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store for hosting the summit.
“Our shared commitment to democracy, rule of law and multilateralism make us natural partners. Our shared priorities in technology and sustainability create abundant opportunities for collaboration. In light of this, we established this format eight years ago to accelerate and strengthen our relations with the Nordic nations. In the past few years, we have made special progress in our relations,” Modi said. (Source: IANS)
