Prime Minister Narendra Modi will embark on a crucial five-nation tour from 15 to 20 May 2026, aimed at securing India’s energy supplies and deepening strategic partnerships amid the global energy crisis triggered by the Strait of Hormuz closure and West Asia conflict.
The itinerary spans the UAE, Netherlands, Sweden, Norway, and Italy, with energy security, trade, defence, and innovation at the core of discussions.
The tour begins in Abu Dhabi on 15 May, where Prime Minister Modi will meet UAE President Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan. The UAE’s recent exit from OPEC+ has heightened the importance of direct bilateral energy ties.
Discussions will centre on energy cooperation, regional stability, and advancing the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. The UAE is India’s third-largest trade partner and seventh-largest investor, with cumulative FDI of USD 3.66 billion over 25 years.
The welfare of the 4.5 million-strong Indian community in the UAE will also be a priority. Energy ties are particularly significant, as the UAE is India’s fourth-largest crude supplier, third-largest LNG supplier, and largest LPG source, meeting nearly 40 per cent of domestic demand.
Indian companies have invested over USD 1.2 billion in UAE energy assets, including stakes in the Lower Zakum offshore block and Abu Dhabi Onshore Block-1, where a recent oil discovery was confirmed. The UAE also participates in India’s Strategic Petroleum Reserve programme, storing crude at Mangalore.
From 15 to 17 May, Modi will visit the Netherlands at the invitation of Prime Minister Rob Jetten. He will call on King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima, and hold talks with Jetten to strengthen cooperation in defence, security, green hydrogen, semiconductors, and water management.
The Netherlands is India’s fourth-largest investor, with cumulative FDI of USD 55.6 billion, and bilateral trade worth USD 27.8 billion in 2024-25. This visit builds on Modi’s 2017 trip and comes early in the tenure of the new Dutch government, offering momentum to expand ties.
On 17-18 May, Modi will travel to Gothenburg, Sweden, for bilateral talks with Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson. Trade between India and Sweden reached USD 7.75 billion in 2025, with Swedish FDI totalling USD 2.825 billion since 2000.
Discussions will cover green transition, AI, start-ups, defence, space, and resilient supply chains. Modi and Kristersson will also address the European Round Table for Industry alongside European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, engaging with leading business leaders.
The centrepiece of the tour is the 3rd India-Nordic Summit in Oslo on 19 May, hosted by Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre. Modi will also meet King Harald V and Queen Sonja, and address the India-Norway Business and Research Summit. Norway’s Government Pension Fund has invested nearly USD 28 billion in Indian markets, and bilateral trade stood at USD 2.73 billion in 2024.
The summit will bring together leaders of Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Sweden, and Norway, focusing on green hydrogen, Arctic cooperation, blue economy, defence, and innovation. It builds on previous summits in Stockholm (2018) and Copenhagen (2022), imparting a strategic dimension to India-Nordic relations.
The final leg of the tour will be in Rome on 19-20 May, where Modi will meet Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and President Sergio Mattarella. The agenda includes fast-tracking the India-EU Free Trade Agreement and deepening defence co-production.
Bilateral trade reached USD 16.77 billion in 2025, with cumulative Italian FDI at USD 3.66 billion. The Joint Strategic Action Plan 2025-2029 provides a roadmap for cooperation in clean energy, innovation, defence, and people-to-people ties.
This high-stakes tour underscores India’s urgent need to stabilise energy prices, diversify supply chains, and reinforce its position as the world’s fastest-growing major economy amid global volatility.
By engaging Gulf and European partners simultaneously, New Delhi seeks to balance immediate energy security with long-term strategic and technological partnerships.
ANI
