Amsterdam: Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in the Netherlands on May 15 for the second leg of his five-nation diplomatic tour, during which he is scheduled to hold talks with Dutch Prime Minister Rob Jetten to further deepen bilateral cooperation in trade, technology, defence and renewable energy. PM Modi landed in Amsterdam after a brief stopover of around two-and-a-half hours in the United Arab Emirates, where he held talks with UAE President Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan in Abu Dhabi.
The Prime Minister was received at the airport by Rear Admiral Ludger Brummelaar, Adjutant-General and Chief of the Military Household of His Majesty the King; Dutch Foreign Minister Tom Berendsen; and India’s Ambassador to the Netherlands Kumar Tuhin, along with senior officials of the Dutch Government.
Landed in Amsterdam. This visit to the Netherlands comes at a time when the India-E.U. Free Trade Agreement has given a major impetus to trade and investment linkages,” PM Modi said in a social media post shortly after his arrival. “It offers an opportunity to deepen relations in areas like semiconductors, water, clean energy and more,” he added. The Prime Minister said he would hold bilateral talks with Prime Minister Rob Jetten and also call on King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima during the visit. PM Modi also said he was looking forward to addressing a community programme during his stay in the Netherlands.
Focus on trade, technology and strategic sectors
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said the visit comes at an “important juncture” in India-Netherlands relations and carries a “rich and substantive agenda” aimed at consolidating the strategic dimensions of the partnership.
MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said the visit would provide an opportunity to further strengthen the “multifaceted India-Netherlands partnership” and engage with the largest Indian diaspora community on mainland Europe.
Officials said India and the Netherlands have significantly expanded cooperation in recent years beyond traditional sectors such as trade, investment, water management, agriculture and health.
According to the MEA, bilateral engagement has increasingly focused on strategic areas including technology, innovation, semiconductors, renewable energy, defence, security, maritime cooperation and education.
Sharing some more glimpses from the welcome by the Indian community in the Netherlands. pic.twitter.com/Pbh47hZ7kX
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) May 16, 2026
PM Modi is also expected to interact with leading Dutch business leaders during the visit as both countries seek to strengthen economic and technological collaboration. The Netherlands remains one of India’s largest trade destinations in Europe. Bilateral trade between the two countries stood at USD 27.8 billion in 2024-25, while cumulative Dutch foreign direct investment in India has reached USD 55.6 billion, making the Netherlands India’s fourth-largest investor.
Strong diaspora and growing Europe engagement
People-to-people ties continue to remain an important pillar of India-Netherlands relations. The Netherlands is home to more than 90,000 non-resident Indians and persons of Indian origin, besides over 200,000 members of the Suriname-Hindustani community. Around 3,500 Indian students are currently enrolled in Dutch universities, reflecting growing educational and cultural engagement between the two countries. Officials noted that PM Modi’s visit to the Netherlands and other European nations, Sweden, Norway and Italy, comes against the backdrop of the India-E.U. Free Trade Agreement finalised earlier this year and the India-EFTA Trade and Economic Partnership Agreement signed in 2025. The visit to the Netherlands from May 15 to 17 marks PM Modi’s second trip to the country after his 2017 visit and is expected to further strengthen strategic, economic and technological cooperation between New Delhi and Amsterdam.
