Speaking to the Indian community in The Hague, Prime Minister Narendra Modi warned that a sequence of global shocks — the COVID-19 pandemic, recent conflicts and the ongoing energy crisis — risk turning this period into a “decade of disasters” that could wipe out decades of development and push millions back into poverty.
Addressing a diaspora gathering during his visit to the Netherlands, Modi urged the international community to act quickly to restore stability and build resilient, trustworthy supply chains capable of withstanding geopolitical and economic turmoil. He said delays in reversing these trends would endanger hard-won gains in poverty reduction and shared prosperity.
Against this uncertain backdrop, the prime minister highlighted deepening ties between India and the Netherlands, stressing cooperation on energy security, water management and green technologies. He pointed to collaboration on green hydrogen and described the recently concluded India–European Union trade agreement as an important step that will strengthen economic ties and open new avenues for business.
Noting that the Netherlands hosts the largest Indian-origin population in mainland Europe — including about 200,000 people of Surinamese-Hindustani origin — Modi called the country a ‘‘natural gateway’’ for Indian companies seeking access to European markets. He asked the diaspora to serve as a trusted bridge, helping align India’s ambitions with European standards and fostering commercial and cultural links.
Modi projected a confident vision of India’s future: a global manufacturing hub, a leader in clean energy, and a major player in areas such as artificial intelligence and semiconductor production. He pointed to India’s expanding digital ecosystem as evidence of rapid change, noting the country records more than 20 billion UPI transactions monthly and ranks among the world’s largest start-up ecosystems.
He also outlined recent domestic advances in infrastructure, renewable energy, semiconductor capacity and digital public platforms, and argued that India’s democratic foundations are strengthening in step with economic growth.
In a gesture to the diaspora, Modi announced an extension of Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) eligibility for the Surinamese-Hindustani community from the fourth to the sixth generation, a move he said would deepen people-to-people connections.
Overall, his speech blended geopolitical concern with economic optimism: a call for international cooperation to shore up supply chains and energy security, and a pitch for India as a resilient, innovative partner for the Netherlands and Europe as a whole.
