Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to embark on a six-day diplomatic tour from May 15-20, marking his first foray into the Gulf since the conflict erupted in West Asia. As per MEA Secretary (West) Sibi George, the tour will cover the UAE and four European countries - the Netherlands, Sweden, Norway, and Italy. This diplomatic circuit is strategically designed to bolster energy security and accelerate India's transition to advanced technologies at a time when the global landscape is rattled by supply disruptions. The Prime Minister's mission begins with a 'short halt in the UAE' on May 15 for a pivotal meeting with President Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, with leaders discussing bilateral ties, energy cooperation and regional issues. According to MEA, the visit will serve to promote the significant trade and investment linkages between the two countries.
The UAE stopover carries significant weight as India and the UAE share a comprehensive strategic partnership, with over 4.5 million Indians living there. According to MEA Secretary Sibi George, the meeting underscores a 'pressing requirement to secure India's energy imports' as the 'effective' closure of the Strait of Hormuz has severely 'stressed global energy markets'. The visit is expected to result in significant agreements on LPG and Strategic Petroleum Reserves, as reported by Business Standard. The UAE was the first country to partner with India on strategic petroleum reserves, with Indian Strategic Petroleum Reserves Limited (ISPRL) and Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) signing an agreement in 2018 allowing the UAE to store more than 5 million barrels of crude oil at ISPRL's facility in Mangaluru. The visit assumes major geopolitical significance as tensions in West Asia continue to affect global energy markets and maritime trade routes. The UAE recently exited OPEC+, making direct bilateral energy cooperation even more important for New Delhi. India imports natural gas and petroleum products from Abu Dhabi, while the UAE remains one of India's most important energy partners in the Gulf region.
Energy cooperation remains central to India-UAE ties, with the UAE currently supplying nearly 40 per cent of India's LPG requirements and being among India's top crude oil and LNG suppliers. The conflict in West Asia since late February has placed severe pressure on international energy markets, with Iran's effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz disrupted shipping routes and raised concerns about global crude supplies. The visit comes as energy security concerns intensify following recent attacks on Fujairah's oil infrastructure, highlighting the strategic importance of alternative supply routes for India's energy needs. In crude oil, the UAE was India's fourth-largest source of crude oil last year, meeting nearly 11 per cent of India's requirements. It is also India's third-largest supplier of liquefied natural gas (LNG). Indian companies and ADNOC Gas have entered into long-term agreements for the supply of a cumulative 4.5 million metric tonnes per annum (mmtpa) of LNG to India, making India the largest buyer of UAE LNG. The UAE is also India's largest supplier of LPG, meeting nearly 40 per cent of India's requirements, and is the second-largest destination for exports of petroleum, oil and lubricants (POL) from Indian refiners, with India exporting more than $6 billion worth of POL products to the UAE last year. Indian companies have invested more than $1.2 billion in the UAE's upstream energy sector, including a consortium of Indian companies acquiring a 10 per cent stake in the Lower Zakum block in 2018 and BPRL confirming an oil discovery in Abu Dhabi's Onshore Block-1 in January 2025.
Transiting from the Gulf to Europe, PM Modi will visit the Netherlands from May 15-17, marking his 'second visit after 2017' at a crucial moment in bilateral relations. During the visit, Prime Minister Modi will call on King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima and hold bilateral talks with Prime Minister Jetten, who assumed office at the end of February. The visit comes at a crucial moment for India-Europe economic ties, particularly after the conclusion of negotiations for the India-European Union Free Trade Agreement earlier this year. India is expected to prioritise cooperation in semiconductors, artificial intelligence and advanced manufacturing during the talks. New Delhi has long been interested in acquiring lithography machines manufactured by the Dutch company ASML, which are critical for semiconductor production. The Netherlands remains one of India's most important economic partners in Europe, with bilateral trade standing at USD 27.8 billion during 2024-25 and the Netherlands being India's fourth-largest investor with cumulative FDI worth USD 55.6 billion. The visit also includes participation in the European Round Table for Industry alongside European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, focusing on industrial cooperation, innovation and investment opportunities. The Norway visit is expected to help boost bilateral trade, which stood at around $2.73 billion in 2024, and India is keen to attract more investments from Norway's Government Pension Fund Global (GPFG), which currently has close to $28 billion invested in Indian capital markets. It will be the first visit to Norway by an Indian Prime Minister in 43 years.
PM Modi will wrap up his multi-nation circuit with a visit to Italy between May 19-20, further expanding India's diplomatic reach. In this final leg, the two nations look to 'deepen engagements in defence and strategic sectors' following the Italian Defence Minister's recent visit to New Delhi. Italy is also aggressively positioning its ports as a vital 'gateway to Europe' within the ambitious India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC). During the visit, Prime Minister Modi will call on Italian President Sergio Mattarella and hold bilateral talks with Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. The visit takes place in the backdrop of the Joint Strategic Action Plan 2025-2029 being proactively implemented by both sides, covering cooperation across trade, investment, defence, security, clean energy, science and technology, innovation and people-to-people ties. Bilateral trade between India and Italy reached USD 16.77 billion in 2025, while cumulative Italian FDI into India stood at USD 3.66 billion between April 2000 and September 2025. As Prime Minister Modi prepares to begin the five-nation diplomatic mission, the tour is expected to play a major role in strengthening India's energy security, accelerating technology partnerships, expanding strategic trade ties and reinforcing India's position as the world's fastest-growing major economy amid continuing global instability and geopolitical turbulence.
