Finland's Prime Minister Petteri Orpo is scheduled to undertake a four-day visit to India from 17 to 20 February 2026. During this trip, he will attend the India AI Impact Summit and hold a bilateral meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The summit, hosted in New Delhi, represents a key platform for global AI discussions, underscoring the deepening ties between the two nations.

Prime Minister Orpo will deliver Finland's address at the AI Impact Summit on 19 February. He plans to visit various country pavilions and participate in side events organised by the Finnish Innovation Fund Sitra and India's National Association of Software and Service Companies (NASSCOM).

The agenda also features a dinner hosted by Prime Minister Modi for invited guests, alongside other high-level meetings.

Accompanying Orpo is a substantial business delegation comprising representatives from 22 Finnish companies. These include prominent firms such as Nokia, KONE Oyj, Wärtsilä Oyj Abp, ICEYE Oy, and the Finnish Center for Artificial Intelligence at the University of Helsinki. The delegation highlights Finland's focus on sectors like digitalisation, sustainability, and AI innovation.

Orpo emphasised Finland's world-class expertise in AI policy and innovation during the visit announcement. He stressed the need for safe and responsible AI use amid rising geopolitical and economic competition. Finland aims to lead in AI while fostering cooperation with like-minded nations and others, building on Orpo's participation in the 2025 AI Action Summit in Paris.

The bilateral meeting with Prime Minister Modi is set for 18 February, ahead of the summit's main events. This encounter occurs against the backdrop of strengthening Finland-India relations, particularly following the inauguration of Finland's new Consulate General in Mumbai in 2022. These developments respond to India's growing geopolitical and geoeconomic influence.

Prime Minister Orpo highlighted the potential for closer cooperation in digitalisation and sustainability. He referenced the new strategic partnership between Finland and India in these areas. The recent conclusion of the EU-India Free Trade Agreement on 27 January 2026 further bolsters these ties, after negotiations that began in 2007 with occasional interruptions.

The EU-India Free Trade Agreement enhances market access for European companies into India's expansive and expanding economy. It plays a pivotal role in fortifying the broader EU-India partnership. For Finland, this opens avenues for its businesses to deepen commercial engagements in India.

The India AI Impact Summit, running from 16 to 20 February at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi, gathers governments, industry leaders, researchers, startups, students, and citizens worldwide. It seeks to shape an inclusive, responsible, and impactful AI agenda, moving from discussions to tangible outcomes for economic growth, social development, and sustainable AI deployment.

Structured around three pillars—People, Planet, and Progress—the summit addresses employment and skilling, energy-efficient AI, and socioeconomic advancement. Seven thematic working groups, co-chaired by Global North and Global South representatives, will deliver proposals on AI Commons, trusted tools, shared compute infrastructure, and sector-specific AI use cases.

Participants can explore AI's effects on professions and industries, emerging skills needs, startup-investor opportunities, and AI applications for farmers, small businesses, and service providers. Sessions cover AI safety, governance, ethics, data protection, and India's sovereign AI strategy, including indigenous foundation models for strategic sectors.

A highlight is the AI Impact Expo, showcasing AI applications in healthcare, agriculture, education, climate action, energy efficiency, and accessibility. These demonstrations aim to illustrate AI's role in solving real-world issues and enhancing service delivery for citizens.

The summit also spotlights India's "Yuva AI for All" initiative, a free course to foster basic AI awareness among students and professionals. Overall, Orpo's visit and the summit signal Finland's proactive stance in international AI governance and its commitment to partnering with India on technology-driven progress.

Based On ANI Report