NEW DELHI — In a major diplomatic offensive timed against severe maritime volatility in the Middle East, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has embarked on a high-stakes, five-nation tour across the United Arab Emirates (UAE), the Netherlands, Sweden, Norway, and Italy.
With the ongoing Iran war triggering severe supply-chain anxieties and oil price fluctuations around the Strait of Hormuz, New Delhi is moving aggressively to insulate its economy. The six-day tour serves a dual purpose: anchoring India’s immediate energy requirements while operationalizing tech-heavy partnerships locked in under January’s historic India-EU Free Trade Agreement.
Strategic Highlights Across the Five Stopovers:
1. United Arab Emirates: Fortifying the Crude Pipeline
Touching down in Abu Dhabi on May 15 to meet UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, PM Modi aims to shield India’s immediate energy perimeter.
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The Blueprint: The two nations are set to ink two pivotal MoUs covering long-term LPG procurement and the expansion of India’s Strategic Petroleum Reserves.
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The Numbers: Driven by an active Local Currency Settlement (LCS) framework that bypasses the US dollar, bilateral merchandise trade notched a record US$101.25 billion in FY 2025-26, with a formal commitment to scale to US$200 billion by 2032.
2. The Netherlands: Elevating Semiconductor Infrastructure
The Dutch leg transitions the diplomatic focus toward advanced manufacturing under the strategy of pairing Europe’s frontier tech with Indian industrial scale.
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The Fabrication Deal: In a crowning milestone for India’s domestic chip ambitions, Tata Electronics and ASML Netherlands will sign a formal contract to equip India’s flagship semiconductor fabrication facility in Dholera, Gujarat.
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Green Shift: PM Modi will tour the Afsluitdijk Dam to absorb Dutch expertise in climate resilience, sustainable fisheries, and green hydrogen infrastructure.
3. Sweden: Defense Onshoring and Supply Chain Sovereignty
With Stockholm aggressively de-risking its critical technology pipelines away from China, Sweden is engaging India as its primary strategic anchor in Asia.
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Defense Milestone: Swedish defense manufacturer Saab is establishing its Carl-Gustaf weapon facility in Jhajjar, Haryana—representing India’s first-ever 100% FDI-driven defense manufacturing project.
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Tech Corridor: The newly instituted Sweden-India Technology and AI Corridor (SITAC) will pool research into 6G, quantum computing, and generative AI.
4. Norway: A Historic 43-Year Arctic Breakout
Marking the first standalone bilateral visit by an Indian Prime Minister to Oslo in over four decades, the trip will feature the Third India-Nordic Summit.
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Capital & Jobs: The visit leverages the newly enacted India-EFTA trade pact, which pledges a massive USD 100 billion investment and a million direct Indian jobs over 15 years.
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Maritime & Space: Indian shipyards now control 11% of the Norwegian Shipowners’ Association order book, with Cochin Shipyard manufacturing eco-friendly vessels. On the frontier side, ISRO satellite antennas at Svalbard have become fully operational as of 2026.
5. Italy: Activating the Western Anchor of IMEEC
Wrapping up the tour from May 19 to 21 at the invitation of Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, PM Modi will anchor economic cooperation through the Joint Strategic Plan of Action 2025-29.
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Digital Corridor: The trade corridor between the two regions has received its most tangible boost yet with the live activation of the Sparkle-Airtel Blue-Raman submarine cable, directly linking Mumbai to Genoa.
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Corporate Megadeals: Backed by Tata Motors’ 3.8 billion euro acquisition of the Iveco Group, bilateral trade is chasing a 20 billion euro target by 2029, supported by a newly opened 500 million euro SIMEST funding line in New Delhi to boost joint SME ventures.
