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India, Norway Seal Green Partnership, Maritime Deals in PM Modi's Oslo Visit

Norway's Ambassador to India called the visit "very successful"

Explained: How Praggnanandhaa can win Norway Chess in a three-way battle

Praggnanandhaa remains firmly in contention for the Norway Chess 2026 title heading into the final round. The Indian grandmaster trails leader Wesley So by just half a point, with Alireza Firouzja also in the mix. A classical victory in his final game could propel Praggnanandhaa to the top, though the outcome will also depend on results involving So and Firouzja.

Explained: How Praggnanandhaa can win Norway Chess in a three-way battle

Praggnanandhaa remains firmly in contention for the Norway Chess 2026 title heading into the final round. The Indian grandmaster trails leader Wesley So by just half a point, with Alireza Firouzja also in the mix. A classical victory in his final game could propel Praggnanandhaa to the top, though the outcome will also depend on results involving So and Firouzja.

Norway Chess: Praggnanandhaa takes revenge on Gukesh; title race goes to final day

R Praggnanandhaa boosted his Norway Chess title hopes with a third straight classical victory, defeating world champion D Gukesh in their Round 9 rematch. After weathering Gukesh’s early aggression in the Nimzo-Indian Sämisch, Pragg defended accurately. The win avenged his earlier loss to Gukesh and moved him within half a point of leader Wesley So heading into the final round.

Parliamentary exchange programmes aid India-Norway bilateral relations: Sribharat

Visakhapatnam MP M. Sribharat, part of an Indian parliamentary delegation in Oslo, meets former Norwegian Prime Minister Erna Solberg and visits the Storting on the India-Norway exchange tour

Norway Chess: Pragg humbles Carlsen once again; Gukesh, Divya suffer classical losses

At Norway Chess Round 8, R Praggnanandhaa defeated Magnus Carlsen for the second time in two weeks, outplaying the World No. 1 in a sharp French Defence to stay in title contention. Meanwhile, Gukesh suffered another classical setback against Alireza Firouzja after a preparation mix-up in the Ragozin Defence. In the women’s event, Divya Deshmukh lost to women's leader Bibisara Assaubayeva.

Norway Chess: R Praggnanandhaa, Divya Deshmukh back to winning ways

Round 7 of Norway Chess saw Indian stars bounce back after a difficult previous round. R Praggnanandhaa defeated Alireza Firouzja in a commanding classical game, while Divya Deshmukh beat Koneru Humpy in an Armageddon tie-break to remain second in the women’s standings. Meanwhile, Magnus Carlsen and D Gukesh won their Armageddon games but remained at the bottom of the open-section leaderboard.

Sribharat arrives in Norway to attend Norway India Business Days event

Norway Chess: Gukesh, Praggnanandhaa, Divya all suffer classical defeats

Round 6 of Norway Chess brought a dramatic reversal for India as D Gukesh, R Praggnanandhaa, and Divya Deshmukh all suffered costly classical defeats in the reverse fixtures. Vincent Keymer outplayed Gukesh, Wesley So overcame Praggnanandhaa in a superior endgame, and Women’s World Champion Ju Wenjun defeated Divya. Magnus Carlsen returned to winning ways against Alireza Firouzja, while Koneru Humpy lost her Armageddon tie-break, capping a difficult day for India.

India-Oman trade deal goes live June 1

The Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) between India and Oman is set to come into force on June 1, marking a significant milestone in bilateral economic relations. Both nations will formally announce the decision on Monday.This marks the fifth free trade agreement (FTA) implemented under the Modi government since 2014. It follows trade pacts rolled out with Mauritius (April 2021), the UAE (May 2022), Australia (December 2022), and the European Free Trade Association (EFTA—comprising Switzerland, Iceland, Liechtenstein, and Norway in October 2025). India has also signed deals with the UK (July 2025) and New Zealand (April 2026), alongside concluding trade talks with the 27-nation European Union (EU) on January 27 this year.CEPA vs FTAModern trade pacts typically span around 20 chapters. These encompass comprehensive regulations across trade in goods, trade in services, investment, intellectual property rights, customs procedures, and dispute settlement mechanisms.Similar bilateral frameworks are also designated as Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreements (CECA), Comprehensive Economic Trade Agreements (CETA), or Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreements (ECTA).Also read: India-Oman CEPA to strengthen energy security, trade resilience and export growthIndia-Oman tradeBilateral trade between the two nations reached USD 11.18 billion during 2025-26, up from USD 10.61 billion in 2024-25. India’s exports stood at USD 4.02 billion, while imports from Oman were valued at USD 7.16 billion.In the services domain, India's exports to Oman expanded from USD 397 million in 2020 to USD 665 million in 2024, driven primarily by telecommunications, computer and information, transport, and travel sectors. Conversely, services imports from Oman grew from USD 101 million to USD 197.7 million over the same period, led by transport, travel, telecom, and other business services.What does India gain? The deal unlocks 100% duty-free market access for Indian exports to Oman, covering 98.08% of Oman’s tariff lines, which represents 99.38% of the trade value (based on the 2022-23 average).Immediate Concessions: All zero-duty access comes into effect from "Day One" of the agreement. Currently, only 15.33% of India’s export value (11.34% of tariff lines) enters Oman duty-free under the Most Favoured Nation (MFN) regime.Price Competitiveness: The pact eliminates the current 5% import duty on Indian goods worth USD 3.64 billion.Growth Drivers: Key sectors poised for immediate advantages include textiles, agricultural products, transport equipment, precision instruments, processed food, and gems & jewellery.New Horizons: The agreement unlocks fresh export windows for Indian minerals, chemicals, base metals, machinery, plastic, rubber, automobiles, clocks, instruments, glass, ceramics, marble, and paper.India-Oman CEPA: Key sectoral gainsOman will grant immediate zero-duty access to crucial Indian industrial segments, including:Iron and steelElectrical and industrial machineryMarine products and copper goodsFurthermore, the removal of the 5% tariff is set to directly bolster the competitiveness of Indian vehicles in the Omani market, while securing binding zero-duty access for key finished medicines and vaccines.India protects sensitive sectorsTo insulate local industries and farming communities, India has placed 2,789 tariff lines on its exclusion list.Excluded Categories: Key domestic sectors shielded from tariff concessions include transport equipment, major chemicals, cereals, fruits, vegetables, spices, coffee, tea, and products of animal origin.Manufacturing Safeguards: High-value manufacturing chains including rubber, leather, textiles, footwear, petroleum oils, and mineral-based products remain protected.Agricultural Shielding: Strategic segments such as dairy products, meat, oilseeds, vegetable oils, sugar, and food-processing residues are entirely kept out of the liberalisation purview.Service sector stands to gainWith Oman’s total global services imports standing at USD 12.52 billion in 2024, India’s current share of 5.31% presents significant room for expansion.Oman has made robust commitments regarding the temporary entry and stay of Indian service professionals. Notably, the Intra-Corporate Transferees (ICT) ceiling has been raised from 20% to 50%, allowing Indian firms to deploy a higher volume of managerial and specialist personnel.Additionally, for the first time in any FTA, Oman has locked in specific commitments for professional service providers, benefitting Indian talent in IT, accounting, engineering, medical, education, construction, and consulting fields.Gains for India's agri sectorIndian agricultural exports such as natural honey, potatoes, cashews, boneless meat, and bakery items will secure immediate duty-free entry into Oman.Oman has agreed to dismantle tariffs—which currently range from 5% to 100%—on an array of items. These include cheese, curd, milk, cream, frozen fish, butter, meat, yoghurt, pastries, cakes, chocolate, sugar confectionery, mineral water, alongside animal and vegetable fats and oils.In return, Indian consumers will benefit from cheaper imports of Omani dates, with India granting zero-duty access for up to 2,000 tonnes of the commodity annually. New Delhi is also extending tariff concessions to Oman’s traditional products: Gum Arabica (utilised in food, pharmaceuticals, and cosmetics) and Frankincense (utilised in the incense and perfume sectors).Oman to benefit from tariff concessionsIndia is extending tariff concessions across 77.79% of its total tariff lines (equivalent to 12,556 lines), which encapsulates 94.81% of India’s total imports from Oman by value.For items that hold significant export value for Oman but remain sensitive for domestic industries in India—such as dates, marbles, and specific petrochemical products—liberalisation will be managed via a controlled Tariff-Rate Quota (TRQ) mechanism.India strengthening presence in Middle EastThe Oman CEPA serves as another pillar in India's deepening trade ties with the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), following its May 2022 pact with the UAE. New Delhi is set to commence trade talks with Qatar soon, and has already inked terms of reference (TOR) to initiate broader trade pact negotiations with the entire GCC bloc (comprising Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar, Kuwait, Oman, and Bahrain).Despite its size, Oman commands vast geopolitical importance as it borders the Strait of Hormuz, a critical maritime chokepoint heavily relied upon by Asian enterprises for oil trade. The nation serves as a strategic gateway for Indian goods and services into the broader Middle Eastern and African markets.Currently, nearly 7 lakh Indian nationals reside in Oman, sending home approximately USD 2 billion in annual remittances. Over 6,000 Indian establishments operate within Oman, and India has clocked USD 615.54 million in foreign direct investment (FDI) from Oman between April 2000 and September 2025. Notably, this CEPA is the first bilateral trade pact Oman has signed with any nation since its agreement with the United States in 2006, cementing its position as India’s third-largest export market within the GCC.

Watch: Gukesh in splits after Javokhir Sindarov asked to sing on his B-day

D Gukesh enjoyed a funny birthday moment during Norway Chess 2026 celebrations as players sang for his 20th birthday before a sailing event in Oslo. Laughter erupted after Wesley So jokingly asked Javokhir Sindarov, Gukesh’s future World Championship challenger, to sing a song. Earlier, Magnus Carlsen defeated Gukesh in Round 4, while Bibisara Assaubayeva continued leading the women’s standings.

'You're not a teenager anymore': Carlsen's B-day wish for Gukesh goes viral - Watch

Magnus Carlsen’s birthday message to D Gukesh went viral during Norway Chess 2026. “You're not a teenager anymore, time to grow up,” Carlsen joked as Gukesh turned 20. Several chess stars, including Ju Wenjun and Koneru Humpy, also wished him. Later, Carlsen defeated Gukesh in a closely fought classical game, improving his position in the tournament standings.

'You're not a teenager anymore': Carlsen's B-day wish for Gukesh goes viral - Watch

Magnus Carlsen’s birthday message to D Gukesh went viral during Norway Chess 2026. “You're not a teenager anymore, time to grow up,” Carlsen joked as Gukesh turned 20. Several chess stars, including Ju Wenjun and Koneru Humpy, also wished him. Later, Carlsen defeated Gukesh in a closely fought classical game, improving his position in the tournament standings.

Norway Chess: Gukesh loses his last game to Carlsen; Divya's unbeaten streak ends

World Champion D Gukesh suffered a 42-move classical defeat against World No. 1 Magnus Carlsen on the eve of his 20th birthday in Round 4 of Norway Chess 2026. Meanwhile, Divya Deshmukh's brilliant unbeaten streak came to an end after losing her Armageddon tiebreak to Ukraine's Anna Muzychuk. R Praggnanandhaa won his game, while Koneru Humpy's tough run continues.

19th Rozgar Mela: World wants to become part of India’s ‘Vikas Yatra’, says PM Modi

The Prime Minister listed out the agreements signed during his visit to the United Arab Emirates (UAE), the Netherlands, Sweden, Norway, and Italy, and said, “These agreements will directly benefit India’s youth. All these agreements come with a guarantee of a bright and capable India

Rahul Gandhi takes dig at PM Modi on Norway pension fund dropping Adani shares from portfolio

In February 2026, Norway’s $1.2 trillion sovereign wealth fund, the world's largest, decided to exclude Adani Green Energy Ltd. from its portfolio due to concern about its alleged links to financial crime

After Netherlands, MEA faces questions over PM’s decision not to hold press conference in Norway

MEA Secretary (West) Sibi George defends policy, says India’s constitution guarantees press freedoms, democracy and human rights

Modi in Norway LIVE: PM Modi holds bilateral talks with Finland PM Petteri Orpo

President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen once again called for an investment agreement between India and the European Union (EU) as India-EU free trade agreement will be discussed again in the summit

Who Is Sibi George? Indian Diplomat At Centre Of Norway Media Exchange

Sibi George defends India's democracy and human rights record during Norway press briefing.