Gothenburg: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on May 17 arrived in Sweden on the third leg of his five-nation visit and was received by Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson at the airport in Gothenburg. Swedish Gripen fighter jets escorted PM Modi’s aircraft as it entered Swedish airspace, marking a ceremonial welcome for the Indian leader.
PM Modi arrived in Sweden at the invitation of Prime Minister Kristersson after concluding his visit to the Netherlands. The visit marks his return to the Nordic nation for the first time since his landmark 2018 trip for the inaugural India-Nordic Summit.
During the visit, Prime Ministers Modi and Kristersson are expected to review the full spectrum of bilateral ties and discuss new avenues of cooperation aimed at strengthening trade and economic engagement, according to a statement issued by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA). India and Sweden have steadily expanded their economic partnership in recent years. Bilateral trade between the two countries reached $7.75 billion in 2025, while Swedish foreign direct investment into India stood at $2.825 billion during the period from 2000 to 2025. The two leaders, along with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, are also scheduled to address the European Round Table for Industry, a leading forum of pan-European business leaders. The engagement is expected to focus on industry cooperation, technology, innovation, and economic collaboration between India and Europe.
I’m grateful to Prime Minister Kristersson for the special gesture of coming to receive me at Gothenburg airport. Looking forward to boosting India-Sweden friendship in this important visit.@SwedishPM pic.twitter.com/MhCZDFyYGv
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) May 17, 2026
Gothenburg at the centre of the visit
India’s Ambassador to Sweden, Anurag Bhushan, described PM Modi’s visit as “very significant” and highlighted the importance of Gothenburg in Sweden’s industrial and innovation landscape.
Speaking to the Media, Bhushan said PM Modi would hold bilateral consultations with Prime Minister Kristersson and his leadership team before engaging with Sweden’s business community. He also noted that the Prime Minister would address members of the European Round Table for Industry, which he described as a group of leading European companies.
Calling the visit historically important, Bhushan pointed out that this is the first visit by an Indian Prime Minister to Gothenburg. He described the city, established in 1620, as the “technology, industrial and innovation heart of Sweden” and also noted the presence of a large Indian community there.
Bhushan further said that PM Modi’s Sweden visit comes at a significant moment as India concludes its Free Trade Agreement negotiations with the European Union. He described India’s relationship with Sweden as “long-standing and diversified,” underlining the broadening cooperation between the two countries across trade, technology, innovation and industry.
PM Modi landed in Sweden after completing the first two legs of his five-nation tour in the United Arab Emirates and the Netherlands. During his UAE visit, India and the UAE deepened cooperation across energy, trade and strategic sectors, while in the Netherlands, India elevated ties with the Dutch government to the level of a strategic partnership, with discussions focusing on technology, semiconductors, trade and innovation cooperation.
