The Hague, May 16 — Prime Minister Narendra Modi met King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima of the Netherlands during his visit to the country, the second leg of a five-nation tour. He is also scheduled to hold a bilateral meeting with Dutch Prime Minister Rob Jetten.
The visit aims to deepen a multifaceted partnership across defence, security, innovation, green hydrogen, semiconductors and a Strategic Partnership on Water. Taking place early in the tenure of the new Dutch government, the engagement is intended to broaden cooperation and identify new avenues for collaboration.
The Netherlands is an important economic partner for India in Europe: bilateral trade was valued at USD 27.8 billion in 2024–25, and the Netherlands is India’s fourth-largest investor, with cumulative FDI of USD 55.6 billion.
People-to-people ties feature prominently in the relationship. The Netherlands hosts over 90,000 non-resident Indians and persons of Indian origin, a Suriname Hindustani community of more than 200,000, and around 3,500 Indian students enrolled at Dutch universities.
Speaking earlier at an event for the Indian community in The Hague, Modi praised strong people-to-people links and described the warm reception as a sign of deep friendship. He drew a parallel between national symbols, saying the Netherlands is known for tulips while India is known for the lotus, and suggested both flowers convey beauty and strength regardless of their roots. He added that the atmosphere made him feel as if he were at a festival in India and called The Hague a “living symbol of Indian friendship.”
Modi also warned that recent global shocks — from the pandemic to war and an ongoing energy crunch linked to the West Asia situation — threaten gains made over past decades. He stressed the need for resilient, future-ready supply chains and said India and the Netherlands are working to strengthen supply-chain resilience.
Highlighting India’s domestic transformation, Modi pointed to the country’s ambitions in AI and semiconductors, its position as home to the world’s third-largest startup ecosystem, and the operation of the world’s largest government-funded health insurance scheme. He said India and the Netherlands are partnering on energy and water security as part of broader cooperation.
Modi noted that a free trade agreement between India and the EU would further reinforce ties, positioning the Netherlands as a natural gateway for Indian businesses entering Europe and the Indian community as a trusted bridge in that process.
(Reporting by ANI)
