PM Narendra Modi arrived in the Netherlands on Friday as part of the second leg of his ongoing five-nation tour, with trade, technology, defence cooperation and renewable energy expected to dominate discussions during the visit.
The Prime Minister is scheduled to hold talks with Dutch Prime Minister Rob Jetten while also meeting King Willem-Alexander and Queen Mรกxima during the visit.
PMย Modi welcomed in Amsterdam during Netherlands visit
PM Modi landed in Amsterdam after a brief stop in the UAE, where he had earlier held talks with UAE President Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan in Abu Dhabi.
At the airport in the Netherlands, he was received by Rear Admiral Ludger Brummelaar, Adjutant-General and Chief of the Military Household of His Majesty the King, Dutch Foreign Minister Tom Berendsen, Indiaโs Ambassador to the Netherlands Kumar Tuhin and other senior Dutch officials.
Soon after arriving, Modi shared a post on social media highlighting the growing importance of India-Netherlands ties.
โLanded in Amsterdam. This visit to the Netherlands comes at a time when the India-EU Free Trade Agreement has given a major impetus to trade and investment linkages,โ he wrote.
โIt offers an opportunity to deepen relations in areas like semiconductors, water, clean energy and more,โ he added.
The Prime Minister also said he was looking forward to holding discussions with Prime Minister Jetten and meeting the Dutch royal family. He is additionally expected to address a community programme during the trip.
India-Netherlands partnership expected to deepen further
The Ministry of External Affairs said the visit is expected to further strengthen the โmultifaceted India-Netherlands partnershipโ.
MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said the visit would also provide an opportunity to engage with one of the largest Indian diaspora communities on mainland Europe.
Officials described the visit as arriving at an โimportant junctureโ in bilateral relations between the two countries.
PM Modiโs trip to the Netherlands, scheduled from May 15 to 17, marks his second visit to the country after his earlier trip in 2017.
MEA officials said the visit carries a โrich and substantive agendaโ and is expected to further strengthen strategic cooperation built through sustained engagement between India and the Netherlands over recent years.
Focus areas include semiconductors, defence and trade
India and the Netherlands have expanded cooperation significantly beyond traditional sectors such as trade, investment, agriculture, water management and healthcare.
According to the MEA, both countries are now also working closely in areas including semiconductors, defence, security, innovation, renewable energy, maritime cooperation, education and technology.
PM Modi is also expected to meet leading Dutch business leaders during the visit.
The Netherlands currently remains one of Indiaโs biggest trade destinations in Europe.
Officials said bilateral trade between the two countries stood at USD 27.8 billion in 2024-25. The Netherlands is also Indiaโs fourth-largest investor, with cumulative foreign direct investment reaching USD 55.6 billion.
People-to-people connections continue to remain an important pillar of the relationship as well.
The Netherlands is home to more than 90,000 non-resident Indians and people of Indian origin, along with over 200,000 members of the Suriname-Hindustani community. Around 3,500 Indian students are also currently studying at Dutch universities.
Officials further noted that Modiโs wider Europe visit, which also includes Sweden, Norway and Italy, comes after the finalisation of the India-EU Free Trade Agreement earlier this year and the signing of the India-EFTA Trade and Economic Partnership Agreement in 2025.
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