PM Modi’s Europe Mission Enters Sweden Phase After Netherlands Stop

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has continued his Europe tour with a key visit to Sweden after completing engagements in the Netherlands. Modi is scheduled to arrive in Gothenburg on Sunday as part of the third phase of his five-nation diplomatic mission. The two-day visit, taking place on May 17 and 18, comes at the invitation of Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson and is expected to strengthen ties between India and Sweden across several important sectors. This marks PM Modi’s first visit to Sweden in eight years since attending the first India-Nordic Summit in 2018. During the visit, Modi and Kristersson are expected to hold detailed bilateral talks focused on expanding trade, investment, innovation, and strategic cooperation. Discussions are likely to include artificial intelligence, emerging technologies, startups, defence, space collaboration, climate action, and stronger people-to-people connections. A major highlight of the visit will be the joint address by Modi, Kristersson, and Ursula von der Leyen at the European Industry Roundtable, one of Europe’s leading business forums. The meeting is expected to encourage greater economic collaboration between India and European nations. The visit has gained additional importance after India and the European Union signed a landmark free trade agreement earlier this year, often described as the “Mother of All Trade Agreements.” The deal is expected to come into effect in 2027 and could significantly boost economic relations between India and Europe. Officials also indicated that the ongoing Iran-US conflict and its possible impact on global trade and energy markets may be discussed during the Sweden meetings. Trade and investment remain a central focus of the visit, with India-Sweden bilateral trade projected to reach nearly $7.75 billion in 2025. Sweden has also invested over $2.8 billion in India between 2000 and 2025. India is particularly interested in adopting advanced Swedish technologies, as Sweden is considered one of Europe’s strongest innovation-driven economies and has one of the highest numbers of unicorn startups per capita in the region.