Prime Minister Narendra Modi was conferred with Sweden’s highest civilian honour for a Head of Government — the Royal Order of the Polar Star, Degree Commander Grand Cross — during his visit to Sweden.
The award recognises his exceptional contribution towards strengthening India-Sweden relations and his visionary global leadership.

Sweden’s Highest Honour for a Head of Government

The prestigious award was presented by Victoria, Crown Princess of Sweden in the presence of Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson.
The Royal Order of the Polar Star was instituted in 1748 and is awarded for outstanding service to Sweden or Swedish interests, particularly in the fields of public service, diplomacy and international cooperation.
The honour is considered Sweden’s highest distinction for foreign Heads of Government.
This becomes the 31st international honour received by Prime Minister Modi from a foreign nation.
Prime Minister Modi dedicated the award to the people of India and Sweden, describing it as a symbol of the warm friendship and mutual trust shared between the two countries.

Special Tribute to Rabindranath Tagore

During the visit, Prime Minister Modi and Prime Minister Kristersson exchanged special commemorative gifts related to Rabindranath Tagore, highlighting the long-standing cultural and intellectual ties between the two nations.
Tagore, who became the first non-European Nobel laureate in 1913, shares a historic connection with Sweden.
Although he could not travel to Sweden to receive the Nobel Prize in 1913, he later visited the country in 1921 and met King Gustav V.
The year 2026 also marks the 100th anniversary of Tagore’s historic visit to Sweden in 1926.

Prime Minister Modi’s two-day visit to Sweden is aimed at further expanding bilateral cooperation in areas including:

The visit underlines the growing importance of India-Sweden relations in the changing global geopolitical and economic landscape.