After 40 years, the Royal Norwegian Consulate General office has opened in Mumbai at BKC. Norway established the first Consulate in Mumbai in 1857, but it was closed down in 1973. Børge Brende, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Norway, inaugurated the office in the presence of Nils Ragnar Kamsvåg, Norwegian Ambassador to India, and Torbjørn Holthe, Consul-General of Norway to Mumbai. The Consulate will facilitate services to the Western region states of Maharashtra, Goa and Gujarat. The Ambassador, however, said the office has not been delegated the power of issuing visas. VFS Global will accept applications, but visa forms would be processed by the Embassy in New Delhi.
During the inauguration, the Norwegian Minister was quoted saying, “Norwegian companies are bullish about the prospects for the Indian economy and want to make in India, both on-shore and off-shore. With the economic growth that we are now witnessing here, it is important for Norway to increase its engagement with the Indian society and with its businesses.” Since Mumbai is the financial capital of India, it was of great importance to have our presence in the city, Brende said.
The Ambassador said, “The travel industry has huge potential. Norwegians are fond of travelling and on an average, travel at least 2 times a year. Since the time India opened the E-visa service, travel from Norway has increased.”
Currently, though the percentage of Indian travellers to Norway is minimal, the potential is high, opined the Ambassador. “We receive visa applications from business travellers and tourists. In general, we witnessed a 20% growth this year, but will see a bigger increase in the future… Being a part of the Schengen Area, we have to follow certain conditions, and with the new rules, it takes a bit longer to obtain a visa. However, it is fairly easy and very few Indians are refused visas,” the Ambassador said.
‘India’s economy is growing at a rate of more than 7 % a year. India is an important market for Norway, and as it is the world’s largest democracy, our political cooperation is also increasing. I am pleased to be able to reopen Norway’s Consulate General in Mumbai. This means that the Foreign Service will be able to provide an even better service to Norwegians and Norwegian companies in India, and our already close relations with India will be further strengthened,’ said Minister of Foreign Affairs Børge Brende. The Consulate General was closed in 1973, having been in operation since 1857.
Mr Brende is in India on 2–3 November to take part in the Norway – India Joint Commission Meeting together with India’s foreign minister, and to open the new Norwegian Consulate General. Mr Brende has also had other meetings, including with India’s minister of finance and the governor of the Reserve Bank of India. The opening of the Consulate General today was attended by around 100 representatives of the Norwegian and Indian business communities, as well as representatives of the diplomatic community in Mumbai. Telenor, which has over 40 million customers in India, is the Norwegian company with the largest presence in the country, but Norwegian companies in the maritime sector are also interested in the Indian market.
‘There is great interest in India among Norwegian companies, and around 90 companies currently have a presence in the country. My meetings with India’s minister of finance and foreign minister have confirmed that Norwegian investments are very welcome,’ said Mr Brende.
Foreign Minister Børge Brende met with India’s Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj in New Delhi 2 November 2015. Credit: Veslemøy Salvesen, MFA.
There is also broad cooperation between India and Norway in the areas of research, issues relating to climate change and Arctic matters.
‘India is a major power on the global stage, and it is playing a crucial role in the lead-up to the climate change conference in Paris and in the negotiations on new global trade agreements,’ said Mr Brende.
