By Anupama Ghosh

Copyright thehindubusinessline

Sweden is positioning the India-EU Free Trade Agreement as the “anchor” for bilateral ties in a volatile geopolitical environment, with a delegation of Swedish small and medium enterprises exploring partnerships across sectors, from renewable energy to pharmaceuticals, during a four-day visit to India.

“In this environment, what India needs and what Sweden needs is reliable partners,” said Sven Östberg, Consul-General of Sweden at a conference in Mumbai. “We are strong proponents of free trade. We are the most free trade loving country in the world.” The FTA negotiations aim for completion by end-2025, with both sides expecting trade to potentially double once implemented.

The Business Sweden delegation with Rupa Thakrar Bagoon, Market Manager, part of the Focus Asia programme, has brought Swedish SMEs to Delhi and Mumbai to explore manufacturing, R&D partnerships, and technology transfer opportunities. Sweden has over 280 companies in India, employing around 200,000 people directly and 2 million indirectly, with 105 firms in Western India and 80 in Maharashtra alone.

Sectoral push

The Swedish delegation spans renewable energy to entertainment technology, with companies targeting India’s infrastructure modernisation goals. Lars Bertil Brandt from Seaflex AB highlighted untapped potential in floating solar installations on India’s irrigation dams and drinking water reservoirs. “India has a fantastic vision to reach 500 gigawatts,” Brandt said, noting successful proof-of-concept projects at Kerala and the Vaitarna Dam complex near Mumbai.

Arun Jayakumar of APOCCA Automation outlined plans to modernise India’s port infrastructure with sustainable automation technology, citing pollution reduction at cement-handling ports as a key opportunity. “Traditionally in India, ports were established a long time ago and the technologies are outdated,” Jayakumar said.

In the pharmaceuticals and specialty sectors, Emil Byström from SpinChem AB reported growing interest from Indian companies in rotating bed reactor technology for cleaner production processes. “Of the top seven companies in India, four are customers,” including Sun Pharmaceutical, Aurobindo, Lupin, and Dr. Reddy’s. The company received its first large-scale system order for the Indian market after seven years of development work.

Meanwhile, Moonlighting Industries is collaborating with Prime Focus Mumbai on the Ramayana project, providing eye-tracking technology for film production.

Johan Björklund from Björklunds Kafferosteri sees potential to elevate India from seventh to third place globally in coffee production through improved farming techniques and quality focus, rather than volume-based approaches. The diverse portfolio reflects Sweden’s strategy to leverage its clean technology expertise across multiple sectors, where India seeks modernisation and sustainability improvements.

Published on September 18, 2025