NGI Strengthens Existing Long-Term Ties with India

Signed by NGI CEO Dr. Lars Andresen and the Indian Ambassador to Norway, Gloria Gangte, this agreement builds on a collaboration with India's Ministry of Road Transport and Highways that NGI has nurtured since 2017. The MoU focuses on improving the safety and reliability of highway infrastructure across India, particularly in challenging mountain and tunnel environments. Under the partnership, NGI will provide specialised expertise in tunnel engineering, slope stability, landslide risk assessment, and advanced monitoring systems, while also supporting training and knowledge transfer for Indian engineers and professionals.

“The long-term goal is to contribute to safer and more resilient infrastructure while building strong professional partnerships between Norway and India within geotechnics, natural hazards, and climate adaptation,” says Dominik Lang, NGI’s Director for Natural Hazards.

Partnership for resilient urban infrastructure in Mumbai

Earlier this year, in January at the World Economic Forum in Davos, NGI signed an MoU with the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA), a partnership focused on geotechnical engineering, engineering geology, and urban geohazard risk management. The collaboration is particularly focused on supporting MMRDA's ambitious urban tunnelling programme, and NGI will provide advanced technical advisory on tunnelling, complex geological and geotechnical challenges, risk management, and resilience.

“The Mumbai region, which is experiencing extremely rapid development and growth, combines extreme urban density with challenging ground conditions. This is exactly the kind of complex challenge where NGI’s international experience can provide practical value,” says Lang.

Strengthening cooperation on disaster resilience

And the momentum does not stop there. NGI is also set to sign an MoU with India's National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) in the coming weeks. This five-year framework will focus on disaster risk reduction, covering natural hazards such as geohazards and climate-induced risks. The partnership will advance knowledge exchange and capacity building, including the use of cutting-edge technologies such as remote sensing and early warning systems for hazard monitoring.

Research partnerships for natural hazard management

Beyond these institutional agreements, NGI is actively engaged in long-term research collaboration with Indian partners through two INTPART projects funded by the Research Council of Norway. NATRISK, coordinated by NGI, is an international partnership connecting expertise from Norway, India, and Brazil to enhance risk management and resilience to natural hazards in steep terrain. Indian partners include the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, the Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee, the Central Road Research Institute under the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, and the Building Materials and Technology Promotion Council.

IP4EWS, running from 2026 to 2029, brings together geoscientists, engineers, social scientists, and local stakeholders across Norway, Canada, and India to improve how natural hazards are assessed, monitored, communicated, and managed, with a particular focus on building more effective and user-centred early warning systems. Indian partners in this case include the Indian Institute of Technology Mandi, the Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology, and the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure.

Together, these agreements and research collaborations reflect NGI's long-term and deepening commitment to supporting India's infrastructure development, disaster resilience, and natural hazard management, combining Norwegian expertise with Indian ambition at scale.