India, Finland Elevate Ties to Strategic Tech Partnership

GG News Bureau
New Delhi, 5th March: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday welcomed Alexander Stubb during a joint press statement in New Delhi, announcing that India and Finland will elevate their relationship into a strategic partnership focused on digitalisation and sustainability.

Welcoming President Stubb on his first State Visit to India, the Prime Minister described him as a respected global leader, thinker and author. Modi also noted that Finland’s President serving as the Chief Guest at the Raisina Dialogue 2026 was a matter of pride for India.

The Prime Minister said the global environment is currently marked by instability and uncertainty, pointing to ongoing conflicts from Ukraine to West Asia. In such a scenario, he said, cooperation between India and Europe—two major diplomatic powers—has entered a new and promising phase.

Strategic partnership in technology and sustainability
Highlighting the outcomes of the meeting, Modi said India and Finland are transforming their bilateral ties into a strategic partnership covering digital technologies, innovation and sustainable development.

He noted that collaboration will expand across several high-technology sectors including artificial intelligence, 6G telecommunications, clean energy and quantum computing.

The Prime Minister also said the two countries will deepen cooperation in defence, space, semiconductors and critical minerals to strengthen resilient and trusted global technology supply chains.

Expanding economic and technology cooperation
Modi pointed out that the recently concluded India–European Union Free Trade Agreement at the beginning of 2026 would further strengthen trade, investment and technology cooperation between India and Finland.

He highlighted several successful collaborations between the two countries, including telecommunications connectivity enabled by Nokia, Finnish architectural participation in building the world’s highest railway bridge over the Chenab river, and the establishment of the world’s largest bamboo-to-bioethanol refinery at Numaligarh.

Talent mobility and education cooperation
To deepen people-to-people ties, the two countries signed a comprehensive migration and mobility agreement aimed at connecting innovation ecosystems and facilitating talent exchange.

Finland has also emerged as a preferred destination for Indian students, the Prime Minister said, adding that the two sides agreed to expand cooperation in teacher training, school partnerships and research on the future of education.

Cooperation in climate and global governance
The Prime Minister noted that Finland is an important partner for India in the Nordic region and that the two countries will expand cooperation in Arctic and polar research.

He also announced that India will host the World Circular Economy Forum this year in partnership with Finland, which will further advance sustainability initiatives.

On global issues, both leaders reaffirmed their commitment to the rule of law, dialogue and diplomacy as the primary means of resolving conflicts.

The Prime Minister emphasized that military conflict cannot resolve global disputes and reiterated support for efforts to restore peace in regions such as Ukraine and West Asia.

He also called for urgent reforms of global institutions to address emerging international challenges and stressed the shared commitment of both countries to eliminate terrorism in all its forms.

Concluding his remarks, Modi said India and Finland can together usher in a new era of cooperation driven by innovation, digital transformation and sustainability.