PM Modi to land in Sweden for first visit since 2018, deep tech and defence high on agenda

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is arriving in Gothenburg on Sunday for a high-profile, two-day official visit to Sweden. This is his first time returning to the Nordic nation since his historic 2018 visit for the inaugural India-Nordic Summit.

At the invitation of Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson, the visit represents the crucial third leg of Modi's broader five-nation tour, which began in the UAE and recently concluded in the Netherlands.

Crucially, this is the Prime Minister's first major foray into the continent since the landmark India-European Union Free Trade Agreement (FTA) officially went into effect in January. 

According to New Delhi’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), the primary objective is to review the "entire gamut of bilateral relations" while aggressively capitalising on the newly operational India-EU FTA.

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What are the key agenda items?

With bilateral trade between the two nations reaching a record $7.75 billion in 2025, economic integration is the undisputed focal point. Over 280 Swedish manufacturing majors currently operate out of India, while 75 fast-growing Indian tech firms have nested operations in Sweden.

The high-level discussions will revolve around five central pillars:

1- The continental power-meeting: PM Modi and PM Kristersson will be joined by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen to jointly address the European Round Table for Industry. The Indian PM is expected to heavily pitch India's next-generation structural reforms, spanning simplified taxation and revamped labour codes, to Europe’s top industrial CEOs.

2- Deep tech & space exploration: Both leaders are zeroing in on advanced technology transfer, covering Artificial Intelligence (AI), the Internet of Things (IoT), and semiconductors. Additionally, aerospace ties will take center stage, following up on the Swedish Institute of Space Physics providing critical scientific payloads for Isro's upcoming Venus Orbiter Mission.

3- Industrial defence integration: Building on the 2019 General Security Agreement, the leaders will map out deep defense manufacturing ties under the 'Make in India' banner, pushing for joint development of cutting-edge hardware.

4- Decarbonising heavy industry: The two nations will review the operational blueprint of LeadIT 2.0 (2024–2026)—their collaborative global initiative launched at Cop28 designed to help heavy industries transition to low-carbon models through technology sharing.

5- Geopolitical fallout: Given the severe disruptions to global shipping caused by the ongoing US-Iran war and the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz, the leaders are also set to address regional supply chain resilience and volatile energy prices.

What the leadership says

The MEA says that the visit successfully merges Sweden's reputation as a world-leading, innovation-driven economy with India's massive digital talent pool and scaling consumer base.

"This visit will provide an opportunity to map out future-oriented sectors and explore new avenues of cooperation. Our synergy with Sweden in green technology and digital infrastructure has evolved significantly since the 2018 Joint Innovation Partnership," it said.

Following his two days of intense business summits and diplomatic protocols in Gothenburg, Prime Minister Modi will head next to Oslo, Norway, to participate in the 3rd India-Nordic Summit.