India-Norway Green Strategic Partnership

General Studies Paper II: Bilateral Groupings & Agreements, International Treaties & Agreements

Why in News?

Recently, India and Norway officially elevated their bilateral ties to a Green Strategic Partnership during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Oslo.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Norway is the first by an Indian Prime Minister in 43 years, serving as a major diplomatic milestone following the last prime ministerial visit by Indira Gandhi in June 1983.

Highlights of India–Norway Green Strategic Partnership

Framework: India and Norway elevated bilateral ties to a “Green Strategic Partnership”, giving strategic focus to clean energy, climate resilience, green technologies, resilient supply chains, blue economy and sustainable growth.
Renewable Energy: Both countries agreed to deepen collaboration in renewable energy, offshore wind, solar projects, geothermal energy and clean energy transition.
- Norway’s expertise in hydropower and offshore technologies complements India’s renewable expansion goals under net-zero commitments.
Investment Expansion: India and Norway linked the partnership with the India-EFTA Trade and Economic Partnership Agreement (TEPA), expected to attract nearly USD 100 billion investment and create around 1 million jobs over 15 years.
- The two leaders underlined the aim of doubling the value of current trade between India and Norway by 2030.
- Prime Minister Modi invited Norway to participate in Bharat Innovates 2026 to be held in France in June 2026.
Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative (IPOI): Norway officially decided to join India’s Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative (IPOI) on 18 May 2026 to strengthen cooperation in maritime security, capacity building and sustainable ocean management across the Indo-Pacific region.
Triangular Development Cooperation: Both countries signed a Triangular Development Cooperation Agreement aimed at supporting developmental projects in the Global South.
- The initiative focuses on human development, sustainability, climate resilience, digital inclusion and inclusive growth in developing nations.
AI and Cyber Technology: India and Norway agreed to deepen cooperation in Artificial Intelligence (AI), cyber security, digital technologies and innovation ecosystems. The move supports secure digital infrastructure and emerging technology governance frameworks.
Green Hydrogen: India and Norway identified Green Hydrogen and Carbon Capture, Utilisation and Storage (CCUS) as priority sectors.
- Cooperation will support industrial decarbonisation, energy security and low-carbon manufacturing technologies.
- The nations formalized collaborative R&D programs targeting carbon capture, utilization, and storage to aid heavy industries in their sustainable transition.
Blue Economy: The partnership strengthens the long-running India-Norway Blue Economy Task Force focusing on sustainable fisheries, marine resources, coastal development and ocean governance. It aligns with SDG-14 and India’s maritime vision.
- The partnership reinforces support for a rules-based maritime order and complements India’s SAGAR doctrine and Indo-Pacific strategy.
Green Shipping: Both nations prioritised green shipping and low-emission maritime transport.
- Norway’s advanced maritime technology and India’s shipping infrastructure can jointly promote cleaner global shipping corridors and decarbonised ports.
- Expanding the Green Maritime Partnership, over 10% of Norwegian ships are planned to be commissioned.
Arctic Cooperation: India and Norway expanded collaboration in Arctic research, climate science and polar studies.
- Arctic cooperation is strategically important for India because Arctic changes influence the Indian monsoon, sea levels and climate systems.
Space Sector: A new agreement on the peaceful use of outer space will enhance cooperation between ISRO and the Norwegian Space Agency in satellite applications, research and investment opportunities in the space economy.
Digital Development: India and Norway launched a Digital Development Partnership focusing on digital public infrastructure, open digital ecosystems, artificial intelligence and digital governance, supporting India’s Digital India and Global South outreach initiatives.
Health Sector: The signed health MoU promotes cooperation in digital health, AI-driven healthcare, medical research and high-quality health services, strengthening technological integration in healthcare delivery systems.
Scientific Research: India’s CSIR and Norway’s SINTEF agreed to collaborate on bio-based materials, circular economy technologies, ocean energy and sustainable innovation, boosting joint scientific research capacity.
Ocean Energy Development: A project implementation agreement was signed for offshore wind and wave energy technologies to develop sustainable deep-water renewable energy systems and enhance marine clean-energy infrastructure.
Infrastructure Cooperation: Norway will provide specialised consultancy in tunnel construction, slope stability, geotechnical engineering and highway safety audits, improving India’s infrastructure resilience and mountain connectivity projects.
Skill Development: The partnership includes collaboration in skills development, higher education, research exchange and talent mobility. Nordic expertise in advanced technology and India’s skilled workforce create opportunities for innovation-led economic growth.
Arctic Research Station: Prime Minister Modi thanked Norway for continued support to India’s Arctic research station “Himadri” located in Svalbard.
- Cooperation in polar science is important for understanding climate change, glacier melting and monsoon variability.
Climate Research: India’s National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research (NCPOR) and the Norwegian Polar Institute are jointly conducting advanced Arctic climate studies, including the PACT Project on Arctic-monsoon teleconnections.
Digital Public Goods: Reaffirming the potential in digital transitions, the two governments tasked their ministries to create a dedicated Joint Working Group on Digitalization to drive joint innovation in digital public goods.
Academic Mobility: The Research Council of Norway (RCN) and India’s DSIR/CSIR signed an MoU to promote joint degree programs, researcher exchange visits, and mutual recognition of qualifications.1
Geo-strategic Alignment: Recognizing global geopolitical uncertainties, both leaders condemned cross-border terrorism, called for institutional UN reforms, and emphasized dialogue to prevent the weaponization of diplomacy and trade.
Innovation Hubs & Hackathons: India proposed the creation of a Start-up Innovation Hub and periodic Green Innovation Hackathons to foster tech entrepreneurship and accelerate sustainability transition initiatives.

India–Norway Relationship:

Diplomatic Ties: India and Norway established diplomatic relations in 1947, soon after Indian independence.
- Norway opened consulates in Kolkata (1845) and Mumbai (1857) even before formal diplomatic ties.
- Norway created the “India Fund” in 1952 to support fisheries, rural development and coastal livelihoods, especially in Kerala’s fishing sector.
- Key visits strengthened bilateral trust, including Jawaharlal Nehru’s 1955 Norway visit, King Olav V’s India visit in 1962, and regular Nordic summits after 2018, institutionalising strategic dialogue.
- India maintains an embassy in Oslo, while Norway operates an embassy in New Delhi and consulates in Mumbai, Chennai and Kolkata.
Maritime Cooperation: Norway has historically supported India in marine fisheries, coastal technology and sustainable ocean management. Cooperation later expanded into marine conservation and blue economy initiatives.
Double Taxation Avoidance: India and Norway signed a Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement (DTAA) in 1986, revised in 2011, helping reduce tax barriers and encouraging bilateral investments and business operations.
Trade Growth: Bilateral trade expanded steadily during the last decade.
- India’s exports to Norway rose from nearly US$270 million in 2014 to US$439 million in 2025, while services exports reached US$876 million in 2024.
- Norway is a key member of the European Free Trade Association (EFTA). The India-EFTA TEPA agreement, effective from 1 October 2025, is India’s first comprehensive trade pact with developed European economies.
Investment: Norwegian telecom company Telenor became one of Norway’s largest investors in India, investing over US$3 billion in India’s telecom sector and strengthening commercial connectivity.
- The Government Pension Fund Global of Norway, one of the world’s largest sovereign wealth funds, has substantial investments in Indian companies and government securities.
Polar Engagement: Norway supports India’s Arctic presence through cooperation on Svalbard research, climate science and polar studies.
- India’s Himadri research station strengthened scientific collaboration in the Arctic region.