Trade, investment key focus during PM Modi's major Europe visit in May

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to embark on a week-long visit to Europe in mid-May, with focus on India's deepening engagement with the continent amid strengthened trade and strategic ties with the European Union.

The trip will take Indian PM Modi to Norway, where he will take part in the third India-Nordic Summit in Oslo alongside leaders from Sweden, Denmark, Finland and Iceland. The summit follows previous gatherings in Stockholm in 2018 and Copenhagen in 2022. Norway, a member of the European Free Trade Association (EFTA), holds particular significance after the India-EFTA Trade and Economic Partnership Agreement entered into force in October 2025. The pact commits EFTA countries to $100bn in investments in India over 15 years, aiming to create one million jobs, while opening markets for Indian exports in textiles, leather and food products.

Bilateral discussions in Oslo are expected to cover green energy, climate change, the blue economy, innovation, digitalisation and Arctic cooperation. India and the Nordic nations share interests in sustainable development and technology, building on the 2018 Stockholm summit, where a Joint Action Plan and Innovation Partnership were adopted.

In the visit, PM Modi is expected to travel to the Netherlands for bilateral talks. He last visited the country in 2017. The Hague is a key partner in water management, agriculture, technology and counter-terrorism efforts. Officials are finalising dates for engagements that were postponed last year.

The itinerary also includes Italy, marking Indian PM Modi's first bilateral visit to Rome, though he attended the G20 summit there in 2021 and the G7 outreach in 2024. Discussions with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni are expected to focus on defence, energy and investment. A possible stop at the Vatican could see Mr Modi meet the Pope.

The European tour comes weeks after the landmark 16th India-EU Summit in New Delhi on 27 January 2026, co-chaired by Indian PM, European Council President António Costa and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. The summit delivered a historic breakthrough with the conclusion of negotiations on the India-EU Free Trade Agreement, alongside a new Security and Defence Partnership and a "Towards 2030" Joint Comprehensive Strategic Agenda.

May visit will be an opportunity to build momentum on the EU-India FTA and fast-track implementation, while reinforcing people-to-people and economic links. Trade between India and the EU has grown steadily, with both sides seeking to diversify supply chains and cooperate on clean technology.

In June, Mr Modi will return to Europe for the G7 summit in France, continuing a tradition of outreach invitations to India since 2019.