Minister of Commerce and industry of India Goyal visits Finland on 16–17 July
A high-level business delegation led by Minister of Commerce and Industry of India Piyush Goyal visits Finland on 16–17 July. 2026. The key themes for the visit are digital and new advanced technologies, advanced manufacturing, clean energy and sustainable development, and the food and consumer industries.
On Thursday 16 July, Minister Piyush Goyal’s agenda included bilateral meetings with Minister of Finance Riikka Purra and Minister of Economic Affairs Sakari Puisto. He also participated in a roundtable discussion on business between Finland and India at the House of the Estates, organised by the Confederation of Finnish Industries.
“I am very pleased that Finland and India will further diversify their economic relations. The strategic partnership between the two countries on digitalisation and sustainability, together with the Free Trade Agreement between the EU and India, will make it possible to double our trade by 2030,” says Minister of Finance Riikka Purra.
“There are numerous technology companies in Finland that develop world-class digital and sustainable solutions. Their operations are also very well in line with India’s growth targets and the Sustainable Development Goals. I hope that, as reliable partners, we can further deepen our cooperation in fields such as space, defence and other critical technologies,” Purra says.
After the ministerial meetings, Ministers Puisto and Minister Goyal opened the roundtable event for companies. The head of India’s delegation Narayan Sethuramon and Director General of Business Finland Lassi Noponen spoke about the outlook for business cooperation between the two countries. At the event, Finnish and Indian companies, including a good number of leading Finnish companies representing the relevant sectors, had the opportunity to showcase their operations.
“Minister Goyal's visit to Finland shows their interest in many fields that are essential for India's growth targets and the implementation of the EU-India Free Trade Agreement. We have world-class expertise in 5G and 6G technology, semiconductor and space technology, clean energy and environmental technology, and the use of artificial intelligence,” says Minister of Economic Affairs Sakari Puisto.
“The Indian market is very big and offers plenty of potential for Finnish operators in both traditional and newer sectors and opportunities for cooperation with Indian companies. These include opportunities for the Finnish food sector and its innovations in India. We will further strengthen our trade relations, and recently the exchange of visits between our countries has been particularly active,” Minister Puisto says.
The event at the House of the Estates included the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between Business Finland and the Confederation of Indian Industry CII to strengthen institutional cooperation. In the Memorandum of Understanding, measures were agreed to promote commercial cooperation between companies taking into account, in particular, the opportunities to boost trade and investments between the two countries offered by the historic EU-India Free Trade Agreement that will enter into force next year.
At the House of the Estates, the Confederation of Finnish Industries EK and the Confederation of Indian Industry CII also signed a Memorandum of Understanding on deeper cooperation, including the promotion of the benefits of the EU-India Free Trade Agreement among companies in the two countries.
On Friday 17 July, Minister Goyal will visit leading Finnish technology and innovation organisations such as Nokia, VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland, KONE and Kemppi Group.
Recently, significant steps have been taken to increase and strengthen cooperation between Finland and India. In March 2026, President of the Republic Aleksander Stubb and Prime Minister Narendra Modi agreed on a bilateral strategic partnership on sustainability and digitalisation. Other important fields of cooperation include technology, education, science and innovation. There have been a good number of high-level visits from Finland to India. Both Prime Minister Petteri Orpo and President Stubb visited India in March 2026.
During his trip to Europe Minister Goyal has also visited Spain and Belgium. The visit takes place at an important stage in the relations between India and the EU. Both parties are committed to strengthening economic cooperation and promoting the swift implementation of the Free Trade Agreement between India and the EU. Minister Goyal's visit is an important step towards turning the common vision into concrete results.
Inquiries:
Asmo Maanselkä, Special Adviser to the Minister of Finance, tel. +358 44 511 2236
Lotta Laitinen, Special Adviser to the Minister of Economic Affairs, tel. +358 295 049 058
Anssi Kullberg, Counsellor, Ministry for Foreign Affairs, tel. +358 50 306 2599 anssi.kullberg(at)gov.fi
Gitta Perez, Commercial Counsellor, Ministry for Foreign Affairs, Embassy of Finland, New Delhi, tel. +358 41 310 1157 and +91 85888 21940