More than four centuries ago on India’s Coromandel Coast, the Danish Admiral Ove Gjedde signed a lease agreement with the local ruler, the Nayak of Tanjore,  now Thanjavur. The agreement allowed Denmark to establish Fort Dansborg and several other buildings that continue to remain in the city of Tharangambadi, formerly  Tranquebar, to this day. In exchange for a yearly rent, the Danes set up a trading post on behalf of King Christian the 4th.

The recently signed India-Denmark Green Strategic Partnership is yet a momentous opportunity to strengthen the ties and deliver green innovation and sustainable development to global societies. Building upon a foundation laid over four centuries ago, India and Denmark can use the Green Strategic Partnership to create a greener and more prosperous world for citizens and societies all over the world.

Denmark has the skills, India has the scale

What does a country with five million citizens have in common with the soon-to-be most populous country in the world?

Quite a lot, it turns out. India and Denmark are both committed to accelerating the green transition with ambitious national targets. To this end, the India-Denmark Green Strategic Partnership, signed in 2020, underlines both countries’ huge commitment and sets out roadmaps for climate action.

With the Green Strategic Partnership, India and Denmark have chosen each other as preferred partners in the journey towards green transition. Initiatives are already being instituted within renewable energy, water, waste, agriculture, shipping and more.

“Denmark has the skills, India has the scale, and the worldhas the need for new technologies,” – Prime Minister Modi.

By combining Danish skills and India’s scale with speed, scope, and political will, we can launch a new era of just, green transformation. To truly leverage the strong partnership and establish a platform where solutions to water management, energy  transition, and sustainable growth are implemented, sustained commitment of businesses from both countries is needed. Efforts are already underway. Offering inspiration and examples of how to aid the green transformation through existing green initiatives, this publication seeks to inspire and instil sustainable IndoDanish business partnerships.