Europe is a technology powerhouse and has increasing space for Indian talent. India has the scale, market, and youth that would lead to a win-win partnership. Differences over Russia will persist, but there are enough areas of convergence as Europe seeks to reduce dependence on both China and the US. 

India-Nordic Summit

Scandinavia remains a faraway region, but the geographical barrier is being bridged. The India-Nordic Summit brings together India and the five Nordic countries – Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden – to enhance cooperation on sustainability, innovation, digitalisation, and green growth. 

The second Summit (2022, Copenhagen) had focused on post-pandemic recovery, Arctic policy, and the Blue Economy. Now the third Summit is scheduled in Oslo in mid-May. The Summit will foster a robust partnership, with India being one of the few countries with which the Nordic countries hold exclusive, top-level summits. 

Geopolitics and geoeconomics have altered since the last Summit. While Blue Economy and sustainability are among key themes, supply chain constraints due to the Iran war and the need for green energy solutions for the coming years now top the agenda of India and Nordic states. The venue of the upcoming Summit cannot be missed, as Norway is an energy powerhouse and has stepped up its supplies to India. 

India’s economic and commercial ties with Norway are on the upswing. There has been a spurt in trade, investments, transfer-of-technology and other contacts. The current growth in Indo-Norwegian eco-commercial ties has been fuelled by a common interest in sectors such as deep offshore, shipping, hydroelectricity, information technology, biotechnology and light consumer goods.  Norwegian IT companies are also looking at offshoring their business to India or investing in Indian startups. Norwegian pension funds are making their presence felt in India.  

Indo-Norwegian Partnership

Knowledge and technology sharing is another important facet of the Indo-Norwegian relationship.  Through a joint Indo-Norwegian research initiative established in 2016, five new joint projects were selected to receive funding for polar research. With its highly skilled researchers, combined with experience in Antarctica, India has become a significant contributor to Arctic scientific advancements. Another booming industry in Norway - the maritime and shipping industry - has also grown through its many business partnerships in India. The Joint Working Group on Maritime Cooperation has identified specific areas for further collaboration, such as coastal shipping and inland waterways, LNG-based shipping, cooperation in ports, and sustainable shipping. Norwegian companies also play a prominent role in the Indian naval sector.

While the Indian Prime Minister’s visit to Oslo is keenly awaited, the visit to Rome will be the icing on the cake for this burgeoning partnership. Overcoming the low in ties caused by the marine issue, India and Italy maintain a Strategic Partnership (elevated in 2023), focused on deepening ties in defence, energy transition, and technology. With bilateral trade of over US$14 billion, Italy is a key EU partner for India. 

The relationship is strengthened by a large Indian diaspora in Italy and a 2023 Joint Strategic Action Plan (2025-29) covering mobility and economic cooperation. Bilateral trade reached US$14.56 billion in 2023-24, with India holding a trade surplus. Key sectors include engineering, textiles, and machinery. Around 140 Italian companies operate in India, primarily in the automotive and machinery sectors. Italy and India have an expanding defence partnership, including the 2023 Defence Cooperation Agreement, focusing on joint exercises, maritime domain awareness, and aerospace. 

India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC)

A 2023 agreement facilitates the movement of skilled workers and students, catering to the over 200,000-strong Indian community in Italy, which is one of the largest in the EU. The partnership over the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC) would give shape to the Indo-Mediterranean corridor. Italy, with limited colonial baggage in Africa, has plans to involve India in third-country projects on the continent. 

The Netherlands and India share a strong economic partnership, and both are looking to expand it to focus on the semiconductor industry. The Netherlands is a major economic partner, acting as India's largest merchandise export destination in Europe. Bilateral trade was approximately US$27.78 billion in FY25. Over 300 Dutch companies are in India, and over 300 Indian firms operate in the Netherlands. Not many are aware that the Netherlands has a sizeable Indian diaspora, and educational exchanges are growing.

G-7 Summit

When Modi lands in France mid-June as an invitee for the G-7 Summit, he is eyeing to further consolidate ties with a country that also pursues strategic autonomy. When French President Emmanuel Macron visited India in February, the discussions focused on implementing the Horizon 2047 Roadmap, with negotiations for Rafale jets (114 for the Air Force, 26 for the Navy) and advancements in civil nuclear power. This visit was Macron’s fourth to India, emphasising a continued strengthening of the strategic partnership between the two nations, which is seen as being "at the highest point". 

Both states aimed to elevate relations to a special global strategic partnership to enhance economic resilience and security. Amid France’s efforts to end the West Asia war through deft diplomacy instead of coercion, India and France have a common agenda to expand ties to a global partnership encompassing West Asia, the Indian Ocean Region, and the Indo-Pacific region. 

(The writer is a commentator on geopolitics and geoeconomics. Views expressed are personal.)