Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi arrived in Norway on Monday on the fourth leg of his five-nation tour. The visit marks the first time in 43 years that an Indian PM has travelled to the Nordic country and is being seen as a significant strategic outreach towards Northern Europe.
Jeg har landet i Oslo i Norge. Jeg er takknemlig for den varme velkomsten fra statsminister Jonas Gahr Støre på flyplassen. Dette er det første besøket av en indisk statsminister til Norge på over 40 år. Jeg er sikker på at besøket vil styrke vennskapet mellom India og Norge.
Jeg… pic.twitter.com/FTwpaWbLnT— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) May 18, 2026
Norwegian Premier Jonas Gahr Store received PM Modi at Gardermoen Airport upon his arrival in Oslo.
During the visit, PM Modi is scheduled to participate in the 3rd India-Nordic Summit on Tuesday and hold bilateral talks with Prime Minister Store.
The visit comes at a crucial juncture in India-Nordic ties, with a strong focus on trade and economic cooperation, especially after the recently signed European Free Trade Association (EFTA) agreement. Apart from engaging with the Indian diaspora, discussions are expected to centre on strengthening economic and strategic collaboration.
PM Modi arrived in Norway after concluding his visit to Sweden, saying the outcomes of the trip had added “new momentum” to bilateral relations.
In a post on X, the Prime Minister highlighted the key outcomes of his Sweden visit, including the elevation of bilateral ties to a Strategic Partnership, the launch of Joint Innovation Partnership 2.0, and the India-Sweden Technology and Artificial Intelligence Corridor.
Indian diaspora in Oslo welcomes PM Modi’s historic Norway trip
“My visit to Sweden was marked by several important outcomes that will add new momentum to India-Sweden relations,” he said.
“From elevating our ties to a Strategic Partnership, launching the Joint Innovation Partnership 2.0 and the India-Sweden Technology and Artificial Intelligence Corridor, to setting an ambitious goal of doubling bilateral trade in the next five years, the discussions were highly productive,” he added.
Meanwhile, members of the Indian diaspora in Oslo expressed excitement over the Prime Minister’s visit.
A member of the Indian diaspora in Oslo told ANI, “We are excited about the PM`s visit to Norway. This is the first visit after 43 years. Not just the Indian diaspora but the whole of Norway is excited about this visit. After signing the EFTA deal, the industry in Norway is now excited about materialising it.”
Another community member said, “Super excited! He is more than a rockstar! With this, the business relations between India and Norway will get better.”
A third resident echoed similar sentiments, saying, “We can`t define our excitement in words. We have been waiting for this moment for the past year.”
The 3rd India-Nordic Summit in Oslo is expected to further strengthen India’s geopolitical and economic presence in the Nordic region.
(With ANI inputs)