India and the Netherlands on Saturday (May 16) agreed to elevate their bilateral relations to the level of strategic partnership following wide-ranging talks between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Dutch Prime Minister Rob Jetten. The decision was taken during Prime Minister Modi’s two-day visit to the Netherlands as part of his broader multinational Europe tour, which aims to strengthen India’s strategic, economic and technological partnerships with key European partners.
During the discussion, the two leaders reviewed cooperation in various areas including trade, defence, technology, water management, clean energy, healthcare and education. Several agreements were also signed to further strengthen partnership in priority areas.
Addressing the meeting, Prime Minister Modi said that there has been significant progress in India-Netherlands relations in the last decade and described the Netherlands as one of India’s major European partners. He said relations between the two countries are based on shared democratic values, strong economic cooperation and close people-to-people ties. He also highlighted ongoing cooperation in areas such as water management, healthcare and education.
My conversations with Premier Rob Jetten were extensive and covered a wide range of topics. One of them was defense and security. This article talks about the possibility of setting up a step-plan for the defense industry as soon as possible. We can also cooperate in… pic.twitter.com/hwgrBZzCsC
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) May 16, 2026
Calling for increased cooperation in emerging sectors, Modi said India and the Netherlands should combine Dutch expertise with India’s speed and prowess to advance partnership in the areas of innovation, sustainability, investment and defence. Dutch Prime Minister Rob Jetten also stressed the growing importance of relations with India and supported stronger cooperation in economic and strategic areas.
Ahead of the bilateral meeting, Prime Minister Modi and Rob Jetten jointly participated in a CEO Roundtable held in The Hague, involving leading Dutch companies from sectors such as energy, ports, agriculture, healthcare and technology. During this, Modi invited Dutch companies to increase investment in India, especially in renewable energy, semiconductor, marine infrastructure, digital technology, artificial intelligence and healthcare sectors.
The Prime Minister also highlighted India’s rapid economic growth and reform-led business environment. He said India has made significant changes in the tax system, labor laws and administrative structure to increase ease of doing business. “Today’s India is a symbol of vastness and stability,” he said. He further said that India has emerged as the world’s fastest growing major economy and has one of the largest talented workforce globally. Prime Minister Modi urged Dutch companies to increase their expansion in India, saying that India offers unique opportunities in the fields of manufacturing, technology and innovation.
During the visit, Modi and Jeten witnessed the signing of an agreement between Tata Electronics and ASML to support India’s first front-end semiconductor fabrication plant at Dholera. The two leaders supported the early implementation of the EU-India Free Trade Agreement and announced plans to elevate India-Netherlands relations to the level of a strategic partnership, with a special focus on green hydrogen, semiconductor technology and advanced manufacturing.
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