Indian Council of World Affairs

Abstract: The inclusion of Norway in IPOI broadens India’s maritime partnerships beyond the Indo-Pacific region. It creates opportunities for cooperation in shipping, climate-friendly maritime practices, and Arctic research. 

Introduction

Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Norway on 18 May 2026, the first time an Indian Prime Minister had done so in over four decades, marking a significant milestone in bilateral relations. During this visit, India and Norway agreed to upgrade their ties into a ‘Green Strategic Partnership’. Another important outcome of the visit was Norway joining the Indo-Pacific Ocean Initiative (IPOI), an initiative the Government of India started in 2019, based on the Security and Growth for All in the Region (SAGAR) vision. Earlier in January 2026, Spain also joined the IPOI. This highlights the growing interest of European countries in engaging with India’s Indo-Pacific maritime agenda. Norway’s joining the IPOI is not the first time it has shared a platform with India. It has been a member of the International Solar Alliance since 2022 and is also part of other platforms, such as the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure and the Global Biofuel Alliance, which demonstrate a steady expansion of bilateral and multilateral cooperation. Thus, IPOI is another step in this long pattern.[i] Norway is one of the world’s leading maritime nations with advanced capabilities in shipping, ocean technology, and ocean governance. Therefore, Norway’s joining the Indo-Pacific has strengthened India’s maritime partnership while bringing new dimensions to IPOI through technological expertise.[ii]

Against this backdrop, this paper examines the strategic opportunities and implications of Norway’s accession to IPOI for India and the wider Indo-Pacific.

India’s Plan for the Sea: From SAGAR to MAHASAGAR

India’s approach to the Indo-Pacific has grown in recent years, starting with SAGAR in 2015, then IPOI in 2019, and most recently, expanding into Mutual and Holistic Advancement for Security and Growth Across Regions (MAHASAGAR). IPOI is an open, inclusive, and non-treaty-based global initiative for mitigating challenges in the maritime domain. It operates on seven pillars, namely, maritime security, maritime environment, maritime resources, capacity building, disaster risk reduction, trade connectivity, and science and technology transfer.[iii]

Norway’s inclusion in IPOI should therefore be viewed within the broader evolution of India’s maritime strategy. While SAGAR initially centred on the Indian Ocean, India’s vision has progressively expanded towards the Indo-Pacific through MAHASAGAR. India’s approach is consistent throughout: open, voluntary partnerships, not strict alliances with neighbours or far-off nations like France, the United Kingdom, Spain, and now Norway. The approach complements the Maritime Amrit Kaal Vision 2047, which aims to strengthen port infrastructure, develop a globally competitive shipbuilding industry, and promote sustainable maritime growth.[iv]

2026 Joint Statement: Shared Vision

The India-Norway Joint Statement, issued during PM Modi’s visit, translates the broader strategic convergence into concrete areas of maritime cooperation. Leaders from both countries agreed to continue developing cooperation in the blue economy, building on the framework established during the 2019 Ocean Dialogue. They recognised the importance of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and respect for the free movement of ships and freedom of navigation. It also highlights that both countries agreed to continue working together at the International Maritime Organisation. It also includes the Green Voyage 2050 clean shipping project and collaboration in the field of sustainable ocean management and plastic pollution. Norway welcomed India’s decision regarding Nor-Shipping 2027 (an international maritime trade fair and networking event), where both leaders recognised the significance of cooperation on shipping, fishing, and the seafood sector. The statement further strengthens cooperation in polar research, building on India’s Himadri research station in Svalbard, Norway. The Arctic is an area where new shipping routes will open as the polar ice melts.

India-Norway Ties amid Shared Opportunities and Challenges

Norway’s decision to join IPOI reflects a broader recalibration of its strategic and economic priorities. As a country that deeply depends on the sea, Norway cannot afford to ignore the Indo-Pacific region. The initiative allows Norway to strengthen its engagement with the rapidly growing Indo-Pacific region, expand cooperation in maritime trade, green shipping, offshore energy, sustainable fisheries, and ocean governance, and promote its expertise in the blue economy. As a major maritime and trading nation, Norway also has a strong interest in maintaining open, secure, and rules-based sea lanes across the Indo-Pacific, through which a significant portion of global trade and energy flows. Ensuring freedom of navigation and the stability of maritime routes is essential for Norway’s shipping industry and its export-oriented economy, making maritime security a key driver of its engagement.[v]

Norway’s maritime outlook is deeply rooted in its geography and economic structure. It has one of the world’s largest ocean shipping fleets, an extensive offshore oil and natural gas industry, as well as expertise in maritime research and sustainable fisheries management. Previously, Norway’s strategic attention was mostly focused on the Arctic or High North and NATO’s northern border. The current development of Norway’s joining of the IPOI indicates its outward orientation towards Asia. It is an important hedge against the risks arising from China’s increasing interest in the Arctic, growing US-China rivalries and shakier Atlantic ties.[vi] Joining IPOI enables Norway to have a direct influence on the development of Indo-Pacific maritime norms and rules, thus becoming less dependent upon and more than just an observer to the development of these issues, which have been almost entirely shaped by China and the United States. At the same time, IPOI enables Norway to diversify its foreign policy partnerships beyond its traditional Euro-Atlantic focus and play a greater role in shaping maritime norms and sustainable ocean management in a region of increasing geopolitical and economic significance.

This shift in orientation carries direct benefits for India’s own strategic calculus. Norway’s joining IPOI enhances its strategic value for India. It makes IPOI bigger and stronger, as it is not just a regional group. Norway brings skills in clean energy at sea, green shipping and ocean management, which align with India’s own goals under the Maritime Amrit Kaal Vision 2047. India and Norway’s Green Strategic Partnership includes joint cooperation on Carbon Capture, Utilisation and Storage (CCUS), low-emission shipping infrastructure, and funding for a clean energy initiative. India must make sure that the climate-based alliances are implemented through actual industrial capacity in CCUS, green hydrogen, offshore wind and ship recycling. India can integrate CCUS into its other initiatives, like the Panchamrit target, National Green Hydrogen Mission and Carbon Credit Trading Scheme.[vii]

Beyond cooperation and technology transfer, the partnership also offers important institutional and capacity-building benefits in training and knowledge-sharing, which can help address common issues such as illegal fishing, ocean contaminants, and ships that are unsafe. Furthermore, India continues to enhance its involvement in polar research by establishing a larger, more balanced presence in the Arctic through multiple partnerships with countries, including Russia, but not restricted to just that country. As part of this effort, the India–EFTA Trade and Economic Partnership, which includes Norway as one of its four member states, is expected to provide additional European investments into India as well as provide additional jobs for citizens living in India.[viii]

Despite this growing convergence, certain strategic differences remain, particularly regarding the Arctic and relations with Russia. Both countries have different levels of relations with Russia. India calls its bond with Russia a ‘Special and Privileged Strategic Partnership’. India buys a huge volume of Russian oil and has signed deals to grow Arctic shipping links, which include the Northern Sea Route, the Chennai-Vladivostok Corridor, and the Reciprocal Exchange of Logistics Support (RELOS). This provides India with some access to Russian Arctic ports like Murmansk.[ix] On the other side, Norway, by contrast, has fundamentally recalibrated its Russia policy following the Ukraine conflict. Norway has sanctioned Russia and blocked the majority of Russian ships from using its ports. While both nations have agreed to increase cooperation in the Arctic, India should navigate the emerging opportunities in favour of its national interests.[x]

Conclusion

Norway’s accession to the Indo-Pacific Ocean Initiative represents far more than the addition of another partner to India’s maritime initiative. It reflects the gradual emergence of a broader maritime architecture that connects the Indian Ocean with the Arctic. It shows two true sea-focused nations, India, with maritime ambition under SAGAR and MAHASAGAR, and Norway, with its strong Arctic and ocean traditions, coming closer together. The Indian side needs to take advantage of this opportunity and explore Norway’s eco-friendly technology. With proper sustained political commitment and institutional coordination and project-based cooperation, the Norway−IPOI partnership could become an important pillar of India’s evolving Indo-Pacific strategy.

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*Nidhi Yadav, Research Intern, Indian Council of World Affairs, New Delhi
Disclaimer: Views expressed are personal. 

Endnotes

[i] News on Air, All India Radio, Government of India. “India welcomes Spain joining Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative.” January 21, 2026. https://www.newsonair.gov.in/india-welcomes-spain-joining-indo-pacific-oceans-initiative

[ii] Indian Council of World Affairs / Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India. “Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative (IPOI).” /pdfs/IndoPacificOceansInitiative.pdf

[iii] Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India. “India-Norway Joint Statement.” May 18, 2026. https://www.mea.gov.in/press-releases?dtl/41184

[iv] Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, Government of India. “Maritime Amrit Kaal Vision 2047.” shipmin.gov.in. https://shipmin.gov.in/en/content/maritime-amrit-kaal-vision-2047

[v] Royal Norwegian Embassy in India, “Enhancing Maritime Security: A Case for International Cooperation,” accessed June 24, 2026, https://www.norway.no/en/india/norway-india/news-and-events/newsnde/enhancing-maritime-security-a-case-for-international-cooperation/

[vi] Government of Norway. “Norway and India to strengthen cooperation.” regjeringen.no, May 19, 2026. https://www.regjeringen.no/en/whats-new/norway-and-india-to-strengthen-cooperation/id3160149/

[vii] Tribune India. “India, Norway seal 12 agreements to deepen green strategic partnership during PM Modi's visit.” May 18, 2026. https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/world/india-norway-seal-12-agreements-to-deepen-green-strategic-partnership-during-pm-modis-visit/

[viii] Press Information Bureau, Government of India. “Honourable Union Minister Shri Kiren Rijiju launches India’s maiden winter scientific Arctic expedition.” December 18, 2023. https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleaseIframePage.aspx?PRID=1987724

[ix] Press Information Bureau, Government of India. “Text of Union Minister Shri Sarbananda Sonowal speech at INDIA-RUSSIA WORKSHOP: Operationalisation of Chennai-Vladivostok Eastern Maritime Corridor.” 2023. https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1999073

[x] Government of Norway. “New sanctions against Russia incorporated into Norwegian law.” regjeringen.no, April 29, 2022. https://www.regjeringen.no/en/whats-new/new-sanctions-against-russia-incorporated-into-norwegian-law/id2910809