According to a Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) statement, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will embark on a five-country tour from May 15 to 20, including visits to the United Arab Emirates and several European countries.
The visit comes as the ongoing crisis in the Middle East has pushed global oil prices higher and increased pressure on India’s foreign exchange reserves.
“The Prime Minister’s upcoming visit will further deepen India’s partnership with Europe across sectors, particularly trade and investment ties in light of the recently concluded India-EU Free Trade Agreement,” the MEA said.
The first part of the visit – UAE
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PM Modi urged Indians to cut fuel and gold consumption to save foreign exchange amid the ongoing crisis in the Middle East that has sent world oil prices soaring and pressure on India’s reserves. The measure is seen as a way to prepare for potentially tougher economic conditions.
PM Modi’s five-country tour includes visits to UAE, Netherlands, Sweden, Norway and Italy. The tour aims to deepen India’s partnership across various sectors, especially trade and investment.
During his visit to the UAE, Prime Minister Modi is scheduled to meet UAE President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan to discuss bilateral issues focusing on energy cooperation, regional and global issues. The visit is also aimed at promoting trade and investment ties as the UAE is India’s third largest trading partner.
During his visits to Sweden and Norway, Prime Minister Modi will discuss strengthening bilateral trade and increasing foreign direct investment. Cooperation in areas such as green transformation, artificial intelligence, emerging technologies, startups, resilient supply chains, defence, space, climate action and the blue economy are also on the agenda.
Business leaders such as Gautam Adani and Sunil Bharti Mittal said the crisis in West Asia was putting pressure on global economies, including India’s. They emphasized the need for energy self-sufficiency and AI, boosting domestic investment and accelerating the transition to renewable energy sources to insulate the economy from future global shocks.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit the United Arab Emirates on May 15, 2026, where he is scheduled to meet the President of the United Arab Emirates, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.
During the visit, the two leaders are expected to discuss bilateral issues with a special focus on energy cooperation and regional and global issues of common concern. They will also explore ways to further strengthen the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between the two countries, which is supported by strong political, cultural, economic and people-to-people ties.
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The visit will serve to promote the significant trade and investment ties between the two countries, an MEA report said.
The UAE is India’s third largest trading partner and its seventh largest source of investment cumulatively over the past 25 years. As the UAE hosts a more than 4.5 million-strong Indian community, the visit will also be an opportunity to discuss their welfare.
The second part of the visit – the Netherlands
In the second leg of his tour, PM Modi will pay an official visit to the Netherlands from 15 to 17 May 2026 at the invitation of the Prime Minister of the Netherlands, HE Rob Jetten. During the visit, he is to meet King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima, as well as hold official talks with Dutch Prime Minister Rob Jetten.
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“The Prime Minister’s visit will build on the momentum of high-level engagements and close cooperation involving various sectors, including defence, security, innovation, green hydrogen, semiconductors and strategic water partnership,” the MEA report said.
The Prime Minister’s visit at the start of the new government’s term is expected to help further strengthen and expand the India-Netherlands partnership.
The Netherlands is among India’s key trading partners in Europe, with bilateral trade reaching $27.8 billion in 2024–25. It is also one of India’s major investors and ranks as the fourth largest source of foreign direct investment with cumulative FDI of $55.6 billion, the MEA said.
The third part of the visit – Sweden
In the third leg of his tour, PM Modi will visit Sweden on 17-18 May 2026 and go to Gothenburg at the invitation of Swedish Prime Minister HE Ulf Kristersson.
During his upcoming visit, he is expected to hold bilateral talks with Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson to review the full scope of India-Sweden relations and explore new areas of cooperation. The discussion will focus on strengthening bilateral trade, which will reach USD 7.75 billion in 2025, and increasing Swedish foreign direct investment in India, which will reach USD 2.825 billion between 2000 and 2025.
The two leaders are also likely to expand cooperation in areas such as the green transition, artificial intelligence, emerging technologies, startups, resilient supply chains, defense, space, climate action and strengthening people-to-people ties.
The two Prime Ministers are also due to speak at the European Industry Round Table, the main forum for entrepreneurs from across Europe, along with Ursula von der Leyen.
The fourth part of the visit – Norway
In the fourth leg of his trip, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will pay an official visit to Norway on May 18-19, 2026, where he will attend the 3rd India-Nordic Summit and hold bilateral talks. This will be the first visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Norway and also the first visit of an Indian Prime Minister to the country in 43 years.
During the trip, he is expected to call on King Harald V and Queen Sonja and hold bilateral talks with Norwegian Prime Minister JE Jonas Gahr Stør.
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The Prime Minister along with the Norwegian Prime Minister will also address the India-Norway Business and Research Summit. The visit will provide an opportunity to take stock of the progress made in India-Norway relations and explore ways to further strengthen them, focusing on trade and investment, capitalizing on the India-EFTA Trade and Economic Partnership Agreement as well as clean and green technologies and the blue economy, the MEA said in an official release.
The visit will also be an opportunity to boost bilateral trade worth around USD 2.73 billion (2024) and almost USD 28 billion investment by the Norwegian Government Pension Fund (GPFG) in the Indian capital market.
The 3rd India-Nordic Summit will be held in Oslo on 19 May 2026.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be joined at the summit by several Nordic leaders, including Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orp, Icelandic Prime Minister Kristrún Frostadóttir and Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson.
Building on earlier meetings held in Stockholm in April 2018 and Copenhagen in May 2022, the summit is expected to deepen India’s engagement in the Nordic region. It aims to add a more strategic dimension to cooperation in areas such as technology and innovation, green transition and renewable energy, sustainability, blue economy, defence, space and Arctic affairs.
The visit is also expected to strengthen India’s economic ties with the Nordic countries, with bilateral trade reaching around USD 19 billion in 2024, and boost investment flows as well as the development of resilient supply chains, particularly in the context of the ongoing India-EU and India-EFTA trade agreements.
The last part of the visit – Italy
In the final leg of his tour, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will pay an official visit to Italy on 19-20 May 2026 at the invitation of HE Giorgio Meloni, Prime Minister of Italy.
He last visited Italy in June 2024 to attend the G7 summit. During the upcoming visit, he is scheduled to meet with Italian President Sergio Mattarella and hold bilateral talks with Prime Minister Giorgio Meloni.
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The visit comes at a time when India-Italy relations are experiencing strong momentum, with both sides actively implementing the Joint Strategic Action Plan 2025-2029, a broad plan for cooperation across multiple sectors.
Two-way trade between the two countries reached $16.77 billion in 2025, while cumulative foreign direct investment from Italy reached $3.66 billion between April 2000 and September 2025. The partnership also covers key areas such as defense and security, clean energy, innovation, science and technology and people-to-people exchanges.
PM reiterates call for fuel savings, reduction in gold purchases
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday reiterated his call for lower fuel consumption, greater use of public transport and electric vehicles by citizens and urged people to delay gold purchases amid a crisis in West Asia that has caused widespread disruption.
Addressing a rally in Vadodara after inaugurating the Sardar Dham Hostel built by the Patidar community, Modi appealed to people to opt for working from home, a practice during the pandemic, whenever possible and limit foreign travel.
“The crisis in West Asia is one of the worst in decades; just as we got through the COVID-19 pandemic, we will get through it,” the prime minister said.
