Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gare Retailer will attend the India-Norway Enterprise & Analysis Summit in Oslo on Could 18, 2026. Picture credit score: ANI
In a candid dialog on the India-Norway Enterprise and Analysis Summit in Oslo on Tuesday (Could 19, 2026), Norwegian business leaders advised Prime Minister Narendra Modi that India can enhance its “ease of doing enterprise” by streamlining its regulatory framework and addressing “ground-level challenges.”
The occasion was a part of Mr. Modi’s day-long bilateral agenda in Norway, the place he and Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gare Retailer met round 250 contributors, together with CEOs of fifty firms, and Indian and Norwegian firms signed 19 B2B memorandums of understanding (MoUs). Mr. Retailer, who presided over the proceedings himself, spoke to a number of businessmen from either side about their experiences and the way processes may very well be improved.
Among the many audio system, Svein Tore Holzer, CEO of Yara Fertilizer India, cited issues at his manufacturing unit in Babulala, Uttar Pradesh, and known as for simpler approval of fertilizers. Yara India was based in India in 1993, acquired Tata Chemical substances in 2018, and at present serves round 36% of the Indian market.
“First, we are going to streamline the fertilizer registration schedule in India and make it simpler to do enterprise within the crop vitamin sector by granting quicker approvals, permitting farmers throughout the nation to entry superior options and scale back their use of sponsored fertilizers,” Holzer advised Prime Minister Modi.
“Presently, there are a number of ground-level challenges which can be creating uncertainty within the progress of our enterprise in Uttar Pradesh and we welcome the chance to work along with your workplace to beat these challenges collectively,” he added, additionally calling for a regulatory framework to help urea vegetation within the nation.
Referring to the India-EFTA Commerce and Financial Partnership Settlement, which got here into pressure in October 2025, he stated, “I feel that mixed with the brand new commerce settlement, we are going to get quicker progress and an excellent stronger influence.” In February final 12 months, the federal government had introduced that it could arrange a particular ‘EFTA desk’ to look into points for firms within the 4 EFTA buying and selling bloc international locations – Norway, Switzerland, Liechtenstein and Iceland – to assist them function in India.
PM Retailer advised Indian journalists after the occasion that the good thing about CEO roundtables is that either side can determine enterprise bottlenecks. “Clearly there are challenges. Completely different technical requirements, totally different procedures, other ways of working within the forms, various kinds of permits wanted,” he stated, including that the EFTA desk would assist resolve the problem. Bilateral commerce in items and companies between India and Norway remained at a low stage of USD 2 billion in 2024-2025, though each international locations have dedicated to doubling commerce ranges.
In his remarks, Prime Minister Modi pointed to the expansion in commerce and funding since TEPA got here into pressure and known as on Norwegian firms to work extra intently with India to fulfill the $100 billion in funding pledged by EFTA international locations by 2040.
Concerning the invitation of Norwegian firms, Mr. Modi stated, “My message is that we should always increase our scope and ambitions in India.” “I gave you the assure and now the ball is in your court docket,” he added.
Anders Opdal, president and CEO of oil and fuel big Equinor, stated the corporate, which produces about 2 million tonnes of LPG and 25 million to 30 million barrels of crude oil annually, handed over its first long-term LNG consignment to India final week to fertilizer firm Deepak Fertilizer and Petrochemicals Company (DFPCL).
“Wherever potential, we are going to cooperate extra. Norway is a big exporter of oil and fuel and an importer of refined merchandise. India is a big importer of oil and fuel, however an exporter of refined merchandise. Due to this fact, with these synergies and the great relations between our two international locations, we hope that we will do extra to additional strengthen the vitality safety of each international locations and supply long-term worth,” he stated.
