Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal on Thursday began a high-level visit to Finland, with India and Finland signing two Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) aimed at strengthening industry collaboration and expanding bilateral trade and investment.
Leading a delegation of senior government officials and business leaders, Goyal held talks with Finland’s Minister of Economic Affairs, Sakari Puisto, on ways to enhance cooperation in financial markets, innovation, enterprise financing and bilateral trade.
The visit comes months after India and Finland elevated their relationship to a Strategic Partnership in Digitalisation and Sustainability during Finnish President Alexander Stubb’s visit to India in March, and follows the conclusion of the India-European Union Free Trade Agreement in January this year.
Addressing the India-Finland Business Forum in Helsinki, Goyal said both countries were working towards doubling bilateral trade by 2030 and highlighted the opportunities created by the India-EU Free Trade Agreement for expanding trade, manufacturing, investment and innovation partnerships.
On the sidelines of the forum, the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) signed two MoUs—one with Business Finland and another with the Confederation of Finnish Industries (EK)—to establish institutional mechanisms for closer industry cooperation and greater business engagement.
The forum brought together business leaders and policymakers from both countries, with discussions focusing on strengthening commercial partnerships and exploring new avenues of cooperation.
Indian and Finnish companies also held sector-specific interactions covering digital and frontier technologies, space, clean energy, bioeconomy, circular economy, infrastructure and advanced manufacturing, with a focus on investment, technology partnerships and innovation.
The first day’s engagements concluded with a networking reception hosted by the Embassy of India in Helsinki, attended by business leaders, policymakers and other stakeholders.
According to the Commerce Ministry, the visit reflects the growing momentum in India-Finland economic relations and reaffirms the commitment of both countries to building a resilient, innovation-driven and future-oriented partnership.
