Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Danish counterpart, Mette Frederiksen, held a telephonic conversation on April 15. It was then that Modi set the stage for the third India- Nordic summit to be held in May. The very next day, PM Modi held another phone call, this time with Petteri Orpo, President of Finland.

Discussions during both the calls aimed at bolstering cooperation across a spectrum of critical areas, including trade, innovation, green transition, climate change, the blue economy, digitalization, sustainability, and mobility. They also exchanged views on various regional and global developments of mutual interest, notably the ongoing conflict in Ukraine and pressing geopolitical issues like international peace and security.

PM Modi will undertake a visit to Oslo on May 15-16, 2025, for the India-Nordic Summit. The third summit since 2018, underscores the deepening strategic importance New Delhi attaches to this unique collective of Northern European nations – Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden.

While historical connections existed; including early diplomatic recognition, Swedish investments in the 1960s, and Norway’s early assistance to Indian fisheries, India’s relationship with the Nordic bloc remained relatively low-key for decades. Modi’s leadership initiated a significant shift, undertaking a concerted effort to revitalise and strategically elevate these ties. The first India-Nordic Summit in Stockholm in 2018 marked a watershed moment.

This event stood out not only for its format – which brought together the leaders of India and all five Nordic nations – but also because it coincided with the first bilateral visit by an Indian Prime Minister to Sweden in 30 years. This summit laid the groundwork and established a framework for regular dialogue and cooperation. In addition, India became only the second country after the US to come together with Sweden, Finland, Norway, Denmark and Iceland on such a large scale. Along the years it has become evident that the Nordics are as interested in India as India is in them, and the two sides are in a position to mutually complement each other.

The momentum continued with the second India-Nordic Summit in Copenhagen in May 2022 and bilateral meetings alongside other major multilateral summits,........

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