New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to depart on a five-nation tour beginning 15 May, with a stop-over in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), followed by visits to the Netherlands, Sweden, Norway and Italy.
Energy security, the transition to renewable energy and advanced technologies are all expected to figure high on his agenda amid disruptions in energy supplies due to the war in West Asia.
The six-day visit will also coincide with the third India-Nordic Summit, scheduled for 18 May in Oslo. Modi will finish his five-nation tour with a bilateral visit to Italy between 19 and 20 May.
The visit will begin with a short halt in the UAE, where Modi is expected to meet President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan. The visit—a last-minute addition first reported by ThePrint—comes amid a pressing requirement to secure India’s energy imports.
India’s comprehensive partnership with the UAE includes purchases of natural gas and petroleum products from Abu Dhabi. The situation in West Asia since late February has stressed global energy markets, with the Strait of Hormuz being effectively closed by Iran. The UAE also faced the brunt of Iran’s retaliation during 40-odd days of hostilities.
Despite a fragile ceasefire in place, Iran last week launched missiles and drones at the UAE, according to Abu Dhabi’s Ministry of Defence. The attacks led to a fire at a petroleum complex in Fujairah, which injured three Indians.
India has walked a diplomatic tightrope between its close ties with the UAE and Iran. The visit to UAE also takes centrestage as Prime Minister Modi on Sunday urged Indians to save fuel, limit foreign travel and curb gold purchases. The prime minister also called for a revival of work from home practices as during the Covid-19 pandemic.
For India, the UAE along with other countries that transport energy through the Persian Gulf, such as Iraq, Kuwait, Qatar and Saudi Arabia, remains a key source of energy. Rising energy prices and the necessity to protect India’s foreign exchange reserves have raised concerns about economic disruptions unless the conflict between the US and Iran comes to an end.
From the UAE, Modi is set to visit the Netherlands and then Sweden before a three-day visit to Norway. This is the Indian Prime Minister’s first visit to Europe since the announcement of the conclusion of negotiations for a free trade agreement (FTA) earlier this year.
Sources familiar with the matter indicated that Norway, Sweden and the other Nordic countries are key to New Delhi’s transition to green and emerging technologies. With the energy disruptions due to the war in West Asia, the visit is significantly more important to deepen political and economic ties between India and the Nordic countries.
India has long been keen on buying lithograph machines, used in the production of semiconductors and produced by the Dutch firm ASML. Modi’s visit to the Netherlands is expected to see outcomes in semiconductors, artificial intelligence and advanced manufacturing sectors.
Modi is likely to meet a number of officials in the Netherlands, apart from the new Prime Minister, Rob Jetten. Jetten assumed office at the end of February. His predecessor Dick Schoof, had attended the AI Impact Summit in New Delhi early in February.
Modi’s visit to Sweden, followed by Norway, indicates New Delhi’s key interest in deepening engagement with Nordic countries, which are home to advanced manufacturing. As a member of the European Union, Sweden will be party to the Free Trade Agreement announced by New Delhi and Brussels in January 2026. The FTA is likely to come into operation early 2027.
Norway, a member of the European Free Trade Association (EFTA), has an operational free trade agreement with India that came into effect in October 2025. Apart from trade, the focus will be on green and emerging technologies. A number of agreements are on the horizon between India and Norway, including in health and digital public infrastructure.
The third India-Nordic Summit is expected to be held on 18 May in the Norwegian capital city of Oslo. The summit will bring together the leaders of the Nordic countries, including Iceland, Denmark, Sweden and Finland to Oslo. The last summit was held at the Danish capital of Copenhagen in 2022, and focused on post-pandemic recovery.
Modi was set to visit Norway and the Netherlands between 13 and 17 May 2025. The visit was cancelled due to Operation Sindoor.
Modi will wrap up his six-day tour in Italy. India and Italy have been looking to deepen engagements in defence and strategic sectors. Italian Defence Minister Guido Crosetto was in New Delhi at the end of April. Italy has pushed for its ports to become a part of the larger India – Middle East – Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC), as a gateway to Europe.
(Edited by Nardeep Singh Dahiya)
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