NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s upcoming five-nation visit from May 15 to 20 is seen as a major strategic outreach to Europe and the UAE, aimed at consolidating energy partnerships, boosting trade and investment flows, and strengthening India’s geopolitical positioning amid shifting global alignments.
The tour will include stops in the UAE and Italy, among other countries, with the Gulf nation expected to serve as the opening leg of the visit.
While Europe will dominate the political messaging around trade and technology cooperation, the UAE leg underscores the enduring importance of energy security in India’s foreign policy priorities.
Notably, the UAE remains one of India’s most critical energy partners.
Last year, it was India’s fourth-largest source of crude oil, accounting for nearly 11 per cent of India’s total crude requirement. It is also India’s third-largest supplier of LNG, with long-term agreements between Indian companies and ADNOC Gas ensuring cumulative LNG supplies of 4.5 MMTPA, making India the single largest buyer of UAE LNG.
In addition, the UAE is India’s largest source of LPG, meeting close to 40 per cent of domestic demand. Energy ties have also become increasingly reciprocal: the UAE is now the second-largest destination for India’s petroleum, oil and lubricant exports, with Indian refiners exporting more than USD 6 billion worth of POL products.
The relationship has expanded beyond supply agreements into strategic upstream investments. Indian companies have invested more than USD 1.2 billion in UAE energy assets. In 2018, a consortium comprising OVL, BPRL and IOCL acquired a 10 per cent stake in the Lower Zakum offshore block, while Urja Bharat Private Limited — a joint venture between BPRL and IOCL — secured participation in Abu Dhabi Onshore Block-1 in 2019. Earlier this year, BPRL confirmed an oil discovery in the block, marking a significant milestone for Indian upstream investments in West Asia.
The UAE was also the first country to participate in India’s Strategic Petroleum Reserve programme. In 2018, ADNOC and ISPRL signed an agreement to store more than five million barrels of crude oil at the Mangalore strategic reserve facility.
Beyond hydrocarbons, the two countries are accelerating cooperation in renewables and connectivity. In October 2024, MASDAR signed an agreement with the Rajasthan government to develop 60 GW of renewable energy capacity in India. The two sides are also conducting feasibility studies on power grid interconnection and are collaborating under the Global Biofuels Alliance launched during India’s G20 presidency in 2023, of which the UAE is a founding member.
From the Gulf, Modi will travel to Italy for an official visit from May 19 to 20 at the invitation of Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. During the visit, he is expected to call on President Sergio Mattarella and hold bilateral talks with Meloni as India seeks to deepen engagement with Europe following the conclusion of the India-EU Free Trade Agreement.
In its statement on the Italy visit, the MEA said: "The visit takes place in the backdrop of a strong momentum in bilateral ties with both sides proactively implementing the Joint Strategic Action Plan 2025–2029, a comprehensive road map for cooperation in various sectors."
The ministry noted that bilateral trade between India and Italy reached USD 16.77 billion in 2025, while cumulative Italian FDI into India stood at USD 3.66 billion between April 2000 and September 2025.
The MEA added: "Prime Minister’s upcoming visit will further deepen India’s partnership with Europe across sectors, particularly trade and investment ties in light of the recently concluded India-EU FTA."
