Embassy
of India
Copenhagen
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.
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. External
Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar (EAM) visited Denmark on 20 &
21 May 2025. EAM called on Prime Minister H.E. Ms. Mette Frederiksen
and briefed her on developments in the Green Strategic Partnership
between India and Denmark. They also discussed regional and
international developments of mutual interest. EAM also called on
Speaker of Parliament H E Soren Gade. EAM met Mr Lars Løkke
Rasmussen, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Mr. Morten Bødskov,
Minister of Industry, Business and Financial Affairs. EAM met
diaspora representatives on 21 May 2025.
7. Minister
of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, Shri Sarbananda Sonowal, met the
Danish Minister of Industry, Business and Financial Affairs Mr.
Morten Bødskov during his official visit to Copenhagen, Denmark on
June 5-6 2025. The two ministers exchanged views on bilateral
maritime collaboration under the auspices of the Green Strategic
Partnership and the MoU on Maritime Affairs.
8. An
All-Party Parliamentary Delegation led by Shri Ravi Shankar Prasad,
Hon'ble Member of Parliament, visited Copenhagen from 29-31 May 2025
to convey India's unwavering stance against terrorism and its resolve
to obliterate every trace of it. After attending different meetings
and community event, the All-Party Parliamentary delegation departed
Copenhagen on 31 May 2025.
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 Science
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.
10. A
delegation, led by Shri MB Patil, Minister for Large and Medium
Industries and Infrastructure Development, Government of Karnataka
visited Denmark on 18-22 June 2025. During the visit the Hon’ble
Minister held a series of meetings with leading Danish companies and
business chambers, including Carlsberg, KK Wind Solutions, Novonesis,
Novo Nordisk, the Confederation of Danish Industry (DI), and the
Indian Danish Chamber of Commerce (IDCC). Investment opportunities in
the State of Karnataka including in the KWIN city were discussed.
11. Shri
Dinesh Pratap Singh, Minister of State (IC) for Agriculture
Marketing, Agriculture Foreign Trade and Agriculture Export,
Horticulture, Government of Uttar Pradesh visited Denmark to attend
the 49th APIMONDIA Congress from 23-27 September 2025 in Scandinavia
and hold discussions with relevant stakeholders on agriculture and
investment opportunities in the state of UP. During the visit he also
flagged off Viksit Bharat run on 28 September 2025 organized by
Embassy of India, Copenhagen with various diaspora associations.
12. A
56-member delegation comprising officials and progressive farmers
from Rajasthan headed by Cabinet Ministers Shri Kirodi Lal Meena and
Shri Jora Ram Kumawat undertook a study visit to Denmark on 9-12
October 2025 and visited agriculture, horticulture, animal husbandry
and dairy sites and companies.
13. Dr.
Shivkumar Kalyanaraman, Chief Executive Officer of the Anusandhan
National Research Foundation (ANRF) visited Denmark from 10-14
June
2025.
During the visit he held meetings with Danfoss Foundation, Novo
Nordisk Foundation along with a visit to Denmark Technical University
(DTU).
14. 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.
15.
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.
II.
Bilateral Institutional Mechanisms
16.
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, latest
FOCs were held on 17 November in New Delhi.
17.
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.
18.
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. First meeting of the JWG on Migration and
Mobility Partnership was held on 27-28 February 2025 in Copenhagen.
III.
Commercial and Economic Relations
19.
As per Denmark Statistics, the total volume of bilateral trade in
goods and services between India and Denmark is around USD 6.1
billion in 2024 as compared to around USD 5.3 billion in 2023. It was
USD 6.6 billion in 2022. Indian exports (in goods and services)
reached USD 2.75 billion in 2024 while imports amounted to around USD
3.3 billion.
20.
Bilateral commodities trade in goods figures from calendar year
2016-2024 are given below:
(Figures
in US$ million)
|
Calendar
Year
|
India's
Exports
|
India's
Imports
|
Total Trade
|
Growth
Rate %
|
India's
BoT Surplus
|
|
2016
|
1219
|
1008
|
2227
|
3.5
|
211
|
|
2017
|
1308
|
1116
|
2424
|
8.12
|
192
|
|
2018
|
1546
|
1225
|
2771
|
12.52
|
321
|
|
2019
|
1437
|
1347
|
2784
|
0.46
|
90
|
|
2020
|
1125
|
1032
|
2157
|
-29.06
|
93
|
|
2021
|
1329
|
1107
|
2436
|
11.45
|
222
|
|
2022
|
1351
|
876
|
2227
|
-9.38
|
475
|
|
2023
|
1027
|
801
|
1828
|
-21.83
|
226
|
|
2024
|
1070
|
973
|
2043
|
10.52
|
97
|
21.
During 2024, bilateral trade in services reached US$ 4 billion;
exports from India reaching US$ 1.7 billion and imports amounting to
US$ 2.3 billion. Bilateral trade in services between India and
Denmark was USD 3.5 billion in 2023; import to India in services
amounting to USD 1.9 billion and export by India in services valued
to USD 1.6 billion. (Source: Denmark Statistics)
22.
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$ 1.4 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.
IV.
Cultural Cooperation
23.
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.
24. The
year 2024 was celebrated as the 75th
anniversary of the establishment of the bilateral diplomatic
relations between India and Denmark. The years was marked by various
events, cultural programmes, seminars on India-Denmark Green
Strategic Partnership at Asia House, Copenhagen, University of
Copenhagen and Arhus University etc.
25.
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
Anniversary of the International Day of Yoga was celebrated in June
2025 with events being held in several important cities of the
kingdom, viz. Copenhagen, Arhus, Aalborg, Sonderborg, Herning,
Odense, and The UN City. The flagship IDY event was held at the
iconic “Operaparken” by the waterfront overlooking Amalienborg
Palace on 21 June 2025, under the theme “One Earth, One Health”.
26. Under
“Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam” initiative, in an event organized by Embassy
on 5 June 2025 Indian Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, Shri
Sarbananda Sonowal planted a tree in the Embassy premises.
27.
On 28 September 2025, Viksit Bharat Run was organized in
collaboration with all the Indian diaspora associations of Denmark
and the Tårnby Municipality with participation from the Indian
community and Friends of India. The event saw the participation of
more than 300 people including children, young adults, and even
senior citizens who came forward to express their strong support to
the vision of Viksit Bharat 2047. Chief Guests of the event were Shri
Dinesh Pratap Singh, Hon’ble Minister of State (Independent Charge)
Horticulture, Agriculture Marketing, Agriculture Foreign Trade And
Agriculture Export, Government of Uttar Pradesh, who was on an
official visit to Denmark and Mr. Allan S. Andersen, Mayor of Tårnby
Municipality.
V.
Indian Diaspora / People-to-People Contacts
28.
The size of the Indian community in Denmark, inclusive of both NRIs
and PIOs is approx 22,204. 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. There
are over 30 Indian community associations.
29. For
the first time ever, the Indian community presented a 12-hour
non-stop Indian cultural extravaganza ‘Namste Denmark’ on
September in Copenhagen’s most prominent central square the
Townhall with over 10000 Indians and Friends of India visiting the
event. The event organized in association with the Embassy of India
and supported by the Diaspora Engagement Division, MEA was a huge
success showing the vibrance of the Indian community.
***
November
2025