PM Modi Arrives in Netherlands on Second Leg of Five-Nation Tour

Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in the Netherlands on Friday on the second leg of his five-nation tour, during which he will hold talks with his Dutch counterpart Rob Jetten to further deepen bilateral cooperation in areas such as trade, technology, defence and renewable energy.

Rear Admiral Ludger Brummelaar, His Majesty the King's Adjutant-General and Chief of the Military Household, Dutch Foreign Minister Tom Berendsen, India's Ambassador to the Netherlands Kumar Tuhin, and other high-ranking Dutch officials welcomed PM Modi at the airport.

“Landed 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,” the prime minister said in a social media post soon after his arrival.

“It offers an opportunity to deepen relations in areas like semiconductors, water, clean energy and more,” he added.

What's on the agenda

The Prime Minister is expected to hold talks with Prime Minister Jetten and call on King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima. Modi may also address a community programme during his visit.

The visit will provide an "opportunity to further strengthen the multifaceted India-Netherlands partnership and to engage with the largest Indian diaspora on mainland Europe", claimed Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal.

During the tour, Modi is anticipated to engage with prominent Dutch business executives.

According to MEA officials, the visit has a "rich and substantive agenda" and is anticipated to strengthen the strategic aspects of the alliance that have developed as a result of the two nations' ongoing engagement.

Officials noted that Modi's visit to the Netherlands and three other European nations -- Sweden, Norway, and Italy -- comes against the backdrop of the India-EU Free Trade Agreement finalised earlier this year and the India-EFTA Trade and Economic Partnership Agreement signed in 2025. 

India and the Netherlands

In recent years, India and the Netherlands have greatly increased their collaboration in areas other than commerce, investment, and the key sectors of water, agriculture, and health.

According to the MEA, the collaboration has expanded in key areas such as technology, innovation, defence, security, semiconductors, renewable energy, education, and the maritime sector.

Modi arrived in the Netherlands 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 PM's visit to the European nation from May 15 to 17 is his second trip to the country after his 2017 visit and comes at what officials described as an "important juncture" in India-Netherlands ties.

With bilateral trade worth USD 27.8 billion in 2024–2025, the Netherlands is one of India's biggest trading partners in Europe. With a total of USD 55.6 billion in foreign direct investment, it is also India's fourth-largest investor, according to officials.

People-to-people ties remain a key pillar of the bilateral relationship.