Bilateral Relations
Overview
India and Finland have traditionally enjoyed warm and friendly relations. The diplomatic relations between India and Finland was established in 1949, with the year 2024 marking the 75th anniversary of the establishment of the diplomatic relations. Finland has Honorary Consulates in Chennai, Kolkata, Bangalore and Hyderabad. Finland has inaugurated its new Honorary Consulate in Ahmedabad on 09 June 2025. In recent years, bilateral relations have acquired diversity with collaboration in research, innovation, and investments by both sides. The Indian community in Finland is vibrant and well- placed.
High-level visits
Head of State level |
|
From India to Finland |
From Finland to India |
|
|
Head of Government level |
|
From India to Finland |
From Finland to India |
|
|
High-level exchanges |
|
Nordic Summit
|
Foreign Minister level visits |
|
From India to Finland |
From Finland to India |
|
|
Foreign Minister level exchanges |
|
Parliamentary Exchanges |
|
From India to Finland |
From Finland to India |
|
|
|
|
Other Ministerial visits since 2016 |
|
Bilateral Institutional Mechanisms
Economic and Cultural Relations
The volume of bilateral trade in goods during the last five years varied between Euro 899.08 million (2018) to Euro 1561.72 million in (2024).
| Financial Year (Jan-Dec) |
2018 |
2019 |
2020 |
2021 |
2022 |
2023 |
2024 |
India’s imports |
544.23 |
509.37 |
467.35 |
414.43 |
636.92 |
843.01 |
819.56 |
India’s exports |
354.85 |
355.27 |
351.12 |
541.58 |
764.97 |
591.02 |
742.16 |
Total Trade in |
899.08 |
864.64 |
818.47 |
956.01 |
1401.89 |
1434.03 |
1561.72 |
(in Euro Millions)
(Source: Statistics Finland)
In 2024, trade in services slightly dropped to €1804 mn, from €1915 mn in 2023.
| Financial Year (Jan-Dec) |
2018 |
2019 |
2020 |
2021 |
2022 |
2023 |
2024 |
India’s imports from Finland |
529 |
393 |
410 |
391 |
632 |
556
|
536 |
India’s exports to Finland |
659 |
803 |
787 |
850 |
1019 |
1359
|
1268 |
Total Trade in Services |
1,188 |
1,196 |
1,197 |
1241 |
1,651 |
1,915 |
1,804 |
(in Euro Millions)
(Source: Statistics, Finland)
Finnish Investments in India
For India, Finland ranks 41st in terms of country-wise FDI Equity Inflows into India with total FDI Inflows from Finland till 2023. Finland’s Investments in India has increased to USD 4 billion (approx.) Over 100 Finnish companies have operations in India. Large Finnish companies like Nokia, Kone Elevators, Metso Outotec, Wartsila, UPM, Lindstrom, Fortum, Ahlstrom, Elcoteq, etc. have manufacturing facilities in India. A Joint Venture between Numaligarh Refinery Ltd., Finnish companies, Fortum and Chempolis is building a biorefinery in Assam. India has been a key market for Nokia since 195 and is one of the its top 10 high-growth regions. With global delivery centers in Noida and Chennai, Nokia is India’s largest international telecom infrastructure manufacturer. The company has been actively advancing 6G research with the launch of a lab in Bangalore and continues to play a pivotal role in India’s telecom sector. Metso Outotec inaugurated a new engineering center in Vadodara, Gujarat in 2023. Recent development includes 2025: Hexa Climate Solutions, an Indian company backed by I Squared Capital, acquired Fortum's entire renewable energy portfolio in India, including a 206 MW operational portfolio and a 600 MW project pipeline.
Indian Investment in Finland
Investment flows from India to Finland is over $ 2 billion (approx.) driven by several significant acquisitions and partnerships. Key milestones include early investments in 2006 by WIPRO Technologies, Sasken Communication, Trivitron Healthcare, Mahindra expanded its footprint by acquiring stakes in Holiday Club Resorts and Sampo Rosenlew, a combine harvester manufacturing company. In 2017, Motherson Sumi Systems acquired stake in PKC Group. Infosys followed in 2018 with acquisition of Fluido Oy, while 2022 saw Epsilon Advanced Material partnering with Grafintec Oy, to establish a graphite-based anode production facility. Recent developments include Cyient’s acquisition of Citec in 2-23, Tech Mahindra’s launch of an Innovation Centre in Espoo, and AM Green acquiring a majority stake in Chempolis Oy in 2024. Other significant investments/acquisitions in 2024 include Indian company AM Green Technology and Solutions B.V., part of AM Green Group (AM Green), announcing the signing of agreements to acquire the Finnish biorefining technology developer Chempolis, Oy, its subsidiary Chempolis India Pvt. Ltd. and the Fortum 3 B.V. entities. The aim is to produce 0.5 million tonnes of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) per year by 2027.
Sectoral Developments
Education - A High-Level Dialogue on cooperation in Education between India and Finland was held virtually on 31 January 2024 at Secretary level. A joint statement encompassing the cooperation in matters like Early to Senior Secondary Education; Higher Education Student Mobility; Skill Development etc. was issued. The State Council of Educational Research and Training, Government of Punjab, signed an agreement for cooperation in education development with the University of Turku, Finland, on September 26, 2024. Both sides agreed to cooperate in Professional Teachers Training Programme focusing on early childhood and primary education, gaining insights into pedagogical approaches etc. A group of approx. 70 teachers from Punjab visited Turku in October 2024 and March 2025.
Digitalisation - A Joint Declaration of Intent signed between MEITY and Minister of Economy in Finland on cooperation in the field of Digitalisation was signed in November 2019 to cooperate in the areas of digital development, strengthening collaboration in the fields of eGovernment, m-Governance, smart infrastructure, eHealth and e-Education, promoting emerging technologies such as AI, Cloud Computing, Big Data, Internet of Things, Blockchain, etc., promoting cooperation in Electronics Systems Design and Manufacturing, among other things.
Cyber Security - CERT India signed an MoU in January 2019 for collaboration with National Cyber Security Centre, Finland for exchange of information on cyber threats and improve capacity to prevent and resolve cyber security incidents. CERT-India and Traficom agreed to exchange information, participate in seminars/events and some technical cooperation.
Environment - The Ministries of Environment of India and Finland signed an MoU for Cooperation in November 2020. There are successful partnerships from 2004 between Finnish Meteorological Institute (FMI), India Meteorological Department (IMD) and The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) in air quality including capacity building.
Startup Ecosystem - India and Finland are among the top Start-up ecosystems in the world. India has emerged as the third largest start-up ecosystem in the world after the US and China and the pace of growth is not showing any signs of slowing down. Over the last year, India has added three unicorns every month taking the total count to 51, ahead of UK (32) and Germany (18). Keeping these convergences in mind, an India-Finland Tech Hub has been created to bring both ecosystems together. Indian Startup firms have also been participating at SLUSH. 39 Indian Startups participated at SLUSH 2024 event held in Finland from 20 & 21 November 2024.
Cultural Relations
Indian culture enjoys significant popularity in Finland, with several Indian dance schools and yoga centers actively promoting cultural engagement. Various Indian associations organize regular cultural events that highlight Indian dance and music, spanning both classical and contemporary styles. These activities foster a vibrant connection between the Indian and Finnish communities. Embassy of India has been organizing key events such as the International Day of Yoga. The International Day of Yoga 2024, was celebrated on 21 June, at Senate Square. Additionally, the 9th Ayurveda Day was celebrated on 22 November 2024, continuing the tradition of promoting Indian wellness and holistic health practices in Finland. A lifesize statue of Mahatma Gandhi gifted by ICCR to Government of Finland was unveiled by EAM and Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto on 20 September 2019 to mark Gandhi’s 150th anniversary.
Tourism/Travel
The favourite destinations of Finnish tourists are Goa, Kerala, and the Golden Temple, though other destinations are also becoming popular. E-visa’ facility has boosted tourism from Finland. There is a daily direct flight between Helsinki and New Delhi which has encouraged travel between both countries. A tourism road show highlighting Madhya Pradesh as an "Offbeat Multispecialty Tourism Destination" was organized in Helsinki on 18 March 2024. The event attracted a diverse audience including the Finnish travel and tour agents, Journalists, Influencers, Content Creators, and Airline Representatives.
Indian Community
There are approximately 33,445 persons of Indian origin living in Finland, comprising around 15,115 Non-Resident Indians (NRIs) and 18,330 Overseas Citizens of India (OCIs). Most of them live in the capital Helsinki and surrounding regions. A significant number of Indian diasporas are engaged in the Information Technology (IT) sector. Most Indians who settled during 1980s and 1990s were from Punjab and are engaged mostly in the restaurant business. The number of Indian students at Finnish universities has grown in recent years. Currently, around 2000 Indian students are pursuing their higher education. Embassy is holding regular interaction with Indian students under ‘Terve-Namaste’ series. Six such interactions have been held with the universities of Helsinki, Aalto, Turku, Tampere, Oulu and students from all over Finland.
Other Useful Resources:
Embassy of India, Finland
website: www.indembhelsinki.gov.in
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/IndiaInFinland
Twitter: @IndEmb_Fin
Instagram Account: https://www.instagram.com/india_in_finland/
(As on June 2025)
*****
