New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi has begun a five nation diplomatic tour starting with the United Arab Emirates before heading to the Netherlands, Sweden, Norway, and Italy, with energy security, technology cooperation, and strategic economic partnerships expected to dominate discussions.
The visit comes at a time when tensions linked to the Iran conflict and disruptions around the Strait of Hormuz continue to affect global oil markets and supply chains. As one of the world’s largest energy importers, India is seeking to strengthen long term partnerships while diversifying trade and technology cooperation across regions.
Modi’s first stop in the UAE will include talks with UAE President Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan. Energy cooperation is expected to remain a key focus, with discussions likely around liquefied petroleum gas agreements and strategic petroleum reserves. The UAE continues to be one of India’s most important energy partners, with bilateral trade crossing 100 billion dollars for the first time in the last financial year.
The Europe leg of the tour is also expected to deepen India’s engagement with key technology and manufacturing partners following the India European Union free trade agreement signed earlier this year.
In the Netherlands, India is expected to strengthen cooperation in semiconductors, clean energy, hydrogen, and water management. An agreement between Tata Electronics and ASML for semiconductor manufacturing in Gujarat is among the key developments linked to the visit.
In Sweden and Norway, discussions will focus on innovation, defence manufacturing, artificial intelligence, clean energy, and maritime cooperation. India is also looking to strengthen supply chain resilience and critical mineral partnerships with Nordic countries.
The final leg in Italy will centre around trade expansion, connectivity projects, and industrial cooperation under the India Italy strategic partnership framework. Modi is expected to hold talks with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni as both countries aim to expand trade and strengthen economic ties in the post India EU trade agreement phase.
