Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Sweden on Sunday (May 17, 2026) for a two-day visit focused on strengthening bilateral ties. According to reports from Firstpost News, Modi's aircraft was escorted by Swedish Air Force jets while landing in Gothenburg, where he was given a warm welcome by his Swedish counterpart Ulf Kristersson at the airport. The visit is expected to focus on strengthening bilateral cooperation in trade, innovation, technology and strategic partnerships between India and Sweden.
As reported by Firstpost News, Modi announced that his meetings with Prime Minister Kristersson will focus on advancing India-Sweden friendship in trade, investments, innovation, defence and more. The Prime Minister also revealed plans to meet with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European business leaders at the European Business Round Table for Industry, aimed at deepening investment linkages between India and Europe. The discussions are expected to cover multiple sectors including green transition, AI, emerging technologies, startups, resilient supply chains, space, climate action and people-to-people ties. Modi had earlier visited Sweden in 2018 for the first-ever India-Nordic Summit.
According to Firstpost News, Modi's visit comes as bilateral trade between India and Sweden reached USD 7.75 billion in 2025. The two-day tour will focus on exploring new avenues of cooperation to enhance this trade relationship. The discussions are expected to cover multiple sectors including green transition, AI, emerging technologies, startups, resilient supply chains, space, climate action and people-to-people ties.
As reported by Firstpost News, this visit marks the third leg of Modi's five-nation Europe tour, following his visits to the Netherlands and Norway where he signed 17 agreements to boost cooperation in defence, critical minerals and other key sectors. Modi will later visit Italy as part of the comprehensive European tour.
According to Firstpost News, soon after landing in Gothenburg, Modi met members of the Indian diaspora who were there to greet him. The Prime Minister was welcomed with musical performances, including the rendition of a bhajan by a Swedish woman, demonstrating the cultural exchange between the two nations.
