Embassy of India

Copenhagen, Denmark

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India-Denmark Relations

Diplomatic relations between India and Denmark, established in September 1949, are based on historical links, common democratic traditions and shared desire for regional, as well as international peace and stability. Bilateral relations were elevated to the level of “Green Strategic Partnership” during the Virtual Summit held on 28 September 2020 between Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi and Prime Minister of Denmark Ms. Mette Frederiksen. The current development of renewed India-Denmark relations has been guided by the “Green Strategic Partnership”.

I. Recent High-Level Interactions

2. Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi paid an official visit to Denmark on 3-4 May 2022. The visit included two components- bilateral talks with PM Frederiksen and the 2nd India-Nordic Summit hosted by India and Denmark. During the bilateral talks, the two Prime Ministers reviewed the progress of India-Denmark Green Strategic Partnership and exchanged views on regional and global issues of mutual interest. H.M. Queen Margrethe II received Prime Minister and hosted an official dinner in his honour. PM also interacted with the Indian community in Copenhagen and addressed an India-Denmark Business Forum held at the headquarters of the Danish Industry (DI). Agreements/MoUs in the fields of migration and mobility, green shipping, cultural exchange programme, water resource management, skill development, animal husbandry and dairying were exchanged. On 4 May, PM attended the 2nd India-Nordic Summit along with the Prime Ministers of Denmark, Iceland, Norway, Sweden and Finland and reviewed India-Nordic relations. A Joint Statement reiterating strong commitment to multilateralism and international cooperation, and a robust partnership with Nordic countries to help promote innovation, economic growth, climate friendly solutions and mutually beneficial trade and investments was issued. On the sidelines of the Summit, Prime Minister held bilateral talks with PMs of Finland, Iceland, Sweden and Norway.

3. Earlier, Prime Minister Ms. Mette Frederiksen paid a State Visit to India on 9-11 October 2021 and held bilateral talks with our Prime Minister. During the visit, she also called on Hon’ble President of India. This was the first visit by a Head of Government to India following the COVID-19 pandemic.

4. Danish Prime Minister Mr. Lars Løkke Rasmussen had visited India from 18-19 January 2019 for the Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit, where Denmark participated as a Partner Country. Prime Minister Modi also met Danish Prime Minister Rasmussen at the India-Nordic Summit in Stockholm on 17 April 2018.

5. Their Royal Highnesses Crown Prince Frederik and Crown Princess Mary of the Kingdom of Denmark visited India from 26 February - 2 March 2023. During the visit they called on Hon’ble President of India, met the Hon’ble Vice President who hosted an official banquet in their honour; inaugurated the exhibition “Silver Treasures from Denmark and India” at National Museum; and participated in the “India and Denmark: Partners for Green and Sustainable Progress” Conference. The Royal Couple also visited Tamil Nadu and met the Governor. They were accompanied by Minister of Foreign Affairs Mr. Lars Løkke Rasmussen, Minister of Environment Mr. Magnus Heunicke and the Minister for Climate, Energy & Utilities Mr. Lars Aagaard.

6. Recent Ministerial visits from India to Denmark include visits by Minister of Jal Shakti Shri Gajendra Singh Shekhawat for the World Water Congress & Exhibition from 12-14 September 2022; External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar on 4-5 September 2021 for the 4th Joint Commission Meeting; Minister for Science & Technology Dr. Harsh Vardhan on 21-24 May 2018 to attend the 9th Clean Energy Ministerial (CEM9) held in Copenhagen; and Minister for Food Processing Industries Mrs. Harsimrat Kaur Badal in August 2017 and September 2018 to attend the World Food Summit. A Ministerial delegation led by Shri Mahesh Joshi, Minister for Public Health Engineering and Ground Water, Rajasthan Government visited Aarhus in August 2022 for cooperation in the field of water resources management. Ministerial delegations from Tamil Nadu government have also visited Denmark in recent times to seek investment and technology from Denmark in the fields of renewable energy, water and machinery.

7. Danish Minister of Industry, Business, and Financial Affairs Morten Bodskov visited India on 16-18 September 2024 and held bilateral meetings with EAM, Jal Shakti Minister, Shipping Minister, Minister of New and Renewable Energy, and Chief Minister of Gujarat. He also held telephonic exchanges with Minister of Commerce and Industry. The Minister also participated in ReINVEST 2024 in Gandhinagar and India Water Week in Delhi. Danish Minister of Foreign Affairs Mr. Lars Løkke Rasmussen along with an official delegation paid a visit to India from 21-22 February 2024. He participated in the 9th edition of Raisina Dialogue and held bilateral discussions with EAM Dr S. Jaishankar.

8. Other important ministerial visit from Denmark in recent times include visits by Minister for Development Cooperation and Global Climate Policy, Mr. Dan Jorgensen, from 8-12 February 2023 for the UP Global Investors Summit and again a separate visit to attend Clean Energy Ministerial & G20 Ministerial Working Groups on Green Transition and Environment and Climate Sustainability from 19-22 July 2023 and from 7-10 September 2021 as the Minister for Climate, Energy and Utilities; Danish Minister for Development Cooperation Mr. Flemming Moller Mortensen on 10-13 August 2022; Danish Minister of Health Mr. Magnus Heunicke on 7-10 March 2022; Foreign Minister Mr. Jeppe Kofod on 14-16 January 2020 to attend the 5th edition of the Raisina Dialogue; Minister for Environment and Food Mr. Jakob Ellemann-Jensen on 17-19 January 2019; Foreign Minister Mr. Anders Samuelsen from 17-18 December 2018 and 27-30 November 2017 during which he co-chaired the Joint Commission Meeting with the External Affairs Minister. 

9. Recent exchange of Parliamentary delegations include visit of Danish Speaker Mr. Soren Gade and the Danish Presidium from 3-9 March 2024, a 5-member Parliamentary Committee led by Higher Education and Sceince Minister Ms. Christina Egelund from 3-9 March 2024, a Danish Parliamentary Standing Committee for European Affairs to India headed by MP Mr Niels Fleming Hansen from 17-20 April 2023,  7-member Danish Parliamentary Foreign Policy Committee delegation led by Chairman Martin Lidegaard to India from 3-6 March 2020. From the Indian side, a Parliamentary delegation led by Speaker Smt. Meira Kumar visited Denmark from 16-18 June 2011. A UP Legislature delegation led by Shri Satish Mahana, Speaker, UP Legislative Assembly and Shri Kunwar Manvendra Singh, Chairperson, UP Legislative Council visited Denmark from 13-16 August 2023 and met Chairman of the Danish Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee, Mr. Bertel Haarder.

II. Bilateral Institutional Mechanisms

10. A number of bilateral institutional mechanisms at different levels between India and Denmark are in place. The Joint Commission Meeting at the Foreign Ministers' level (established in 2008) and the Foreign Office Consultations at Secretary-level (established in 1995) provide the broad framework for bilateral consultations encompassing all areas of mutual interest. So far, four meetings of the Joint Commission have been held. The last meeting was held in Copenhagen in September 2021 during which both sides reviewed the progress made since the launch of the Green Strategic Partnership. Foreign Office Consultations have been held seven times since 1995, and the last edition was held on 1 April 2023 in Copenhagen.

11. Further, a broad-ranging dialogue mechanisms between various Ministries of both sides have been put in place by establishing 12 Joint Working Groups in (i) Renewable Energy, (ii) Shipping and Ports, (iii) Agriculture & Animal Husbandry, (iv) Food Processing, (v) Science & Technology, (vi) Labour Mobility, (vii) Environment, (viii) Smart Cities, (ix) Digitisation (x) Energy Cooperation, and (xi) Health and Medicine and (xii) Water. Five Joint Working Groups on Health, Water, Renewable Energy, Power and Shipping held meetings in 2024. Bilateral calls on Cutting Edge Green Hydrogen Technology jointly funded by The Danish Agency for Higher Education and Science and Department of Science and Technology, Government of India were announced in October 2024. 

12. India and Denmark have signed a Migration and Mobility Partnership Agreement on 22 Feb 2024 in New Delhi. The Agreement was signed by External Affairs Minister Dr. S Jaishanker and Danish Finance Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen, which aims to set up a framework to facilitate mobility and employment opportunities for skills and talents from both sides.

III. Commercial and Economic Relations

13. As per Denmark Statistics, the total volume of bilateral trade in goods and services between India and Denmark is around USD 5.3 billion in 2023 as compared to around USD 6.64 billion in 2022. It was USD 4.96 billion in 2021. Indian exports (in goods and services) reached USD 2.74 billion in 2023 while imports amounted to around USD 2.59 billion.

14. Bilateral commodities trade in goods figures from financial year 2016-17 to 2023-24 (April- December) are given below:

(Figures in US$ million)

[Source: DGFT, Dept. of Commerce; figures include trade in goods only]

15. The major export items from India to Denmark are textiles, apparels and yarns related, vehicles and components, metal goods, iron and steel, leather and footwear, and travel goods. Major Danish exports to India are medicinal/pharmaceutical products, power generating machinery, industrial machinery, metal waste and ore, and organic chemicals.

16. During 2023, bilateral trade in goods and services reached US$ 5.31 billion; exports from India reaching US$ 2.74 billion and imports amounting to US$ 2.59 billion. Bilateral trade in services between India and Denmark was USD 4.52 billion in 2022 (import to India in services amounting to USD 3.13 billion and export in service sector by India valued at USD 1.39 billion. (Source: Denmark Statistics)

17. As per Denmark Statistics figures, the value of total direct investment inflows from Denmark to India during 2000-2023 was US$ 2.1 billion while as per DPIIT data, the total Danish investment was reported at US$ 1.30 billion from April 2000 – September 2024. Around 200 Danish companies have invested in India in sectors such as shipping, renewable energy, environment, agriculture, food processing and smart urban development. Several major Danish companies have built new manufacturing factories under the ‘Make in India’ scheme. Major Danish companies present in India include AP Moller Maersk, Vestas, LM Wind Power, Grundfos, Danfoss, Carlsberg, FL Smidth, Novo Nordisk, Haldar Topsoe, Ramboll and Cowi etc.

18. As per information available from ‘Invest in Denmark’, the total value of Indian investments in Denmark is about USD 560 million. Around 40 Indian companies are present in Denmark in various sectors, including IT, renewable energy and engineering. Indian companies present in Denmark include Infosys, Tata Consultancy Services, L&T Infotech, HCL, Infosys, Tech Mahindra and OYO etc. Majority of them are providing IT solutions, projects consultancy and outsourcing services for Danish services sector. 

IV. Cultural Cooperation

19. A Cultural Exchange Programme was signed during the visit of Hon’ble PM to Denmark in May 2022 for taking forward cooperation in the cultural sector. Under this framework, a joint exhibition “Silver Treasures from India and Denmark” was inaugurated at the National Museum in New Delhi during the visit of the Royal Couple from Denmark in February 2023. Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav (AKAM) to commemorate 75 years of India’s Independence were celebrated with much fervour across Denmark with lighting up iconic Danske Industries building with the Indian tricolor, hoisting of the tricolor at the Royal Stock Exchange, Børsen in Central Copenhagen and a multitude of events including Har Ghar Tiranga initiative, singing of Rashtragaan with the Indian diaspora participating in large numbers, food and film festivals, talks on India@75 by eminent persons, school outreach programme with interactive sessions, youth cricket workshop, rangoli, art and dance workshops; essay writing, painting and poster making competitions etc.

20. International Day of Yoga is celebrated every year by the Embassy across Denmark with active participation of several organisations  involved in imparting Yoga training in Denmark. The 10th International Day of Yoga in June 2024 was the most wide spread and high impact, with events being held in all important cities of the kingdom, viz. Copenhagen, Arhus, Aalborg, Sonderborg, Herning, Odense, Kokkedal and The UN City. The flagship IDY event was held at the iconic “Operaparken” by the waterfront overlooking Amalienborg Palace on 21 June 2024, under the theme “Yoga for All”. Sprititual guru Sri Sri Ravi Shankar visited Denmark and held an interaction with Danish participants on Indian healing systems in September 2024.

21. As part of the 150th Birth Anniversary Celebrations of Mahatma Gandhi in 2019, the Embassy organised various events including talks on Gandhiji and tree-planting ceremonies at more than 20 educational institutions including Copenhagen and Roskilde Universities, Kold College, IBC Kolding, Zealand Business College and schools etc.

V. Indian Diaspora / People-to-People Contacts

22. The size of the Indian community in Denmark, inclusive of both NRIs and PIOs is approx 21,000. These include IT professionals, doctors, engineers, finance & banking professionals, academics and students. Important streets and public places named after Indian leaders include Gandhi Plaene (Gandhi Park), Indiakaj (road named after India) and Nehru Road near Aarhus University in Aarhus.

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02 January 2025