PM Modi meets Dutch King, addresses diaspora during Netherlands visit

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi began his three-day visit to the Netherlands on May 15, meeting King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima in The Hague. The visit, his second since 2017, focuses on strengthening bilateral ties in trade, technology, defense, and renewable energy, described as a key moment in India-Netherlands relations. Modi addressed the Indian diaspora, calling India a ‘land of opportunities’ undergoing rapid transformation. He highlighted India’s startup ecosystem, now home to nearly 125 unicorns, and its ambitions to become a global manufacturing and green energy leader. The prime minister also referenced India’s G20 presidency, AI summit, and Chandrayaan-3 moon mission as markers of its technological progress. The Netherlands is India’s fourth-largest investor, with $55.6 billion in cumulative foreign direct investment and $27.8 billion in bilateral trade for 2024-25. Modi emphasized cooperation in green hydrogen, supply chains, and clean energy, aiming to build a ‘trusted, transparent, and future-ready’ partnership. During his speech, Modi praised the contributions of Indian-origin Dutch cricketers like Teja Nidamanuru and Dutch hockey coaches, including Sjoerd Marijne, who led India’s women’s team to a fourth-place finish at the Tokyo Olympics. He urged the diaspora—over 90,000 NRIs and 200,000 Suriname-Hindustani community members—to bridge India-Europe economic ties as negotiations on an India-EU Free Trade Agreement advance. Modi is set to meet Dutch Prime Minister Rob Jetten to discuss expanding cooperation in semiconductors, clean energy, defense, innovation, maritime security, and education. The visit follows a stopover in the UAE and precedes trips to Sweden, Norway, and Italy. The Ministry of External Affairs noted the visit’s ‘rich and substantive agenda,’ reflecting growing strategic alignment between the two nations.