Elevating their bilateral ties to a strategic partnership, India and the Netherlands have agreed on a five-year roadmap (2026-30), and signed as many as 17 pacts including agreements on semiconductors, critical minerals, migration and mobility, water and renewable energy.
Meeting his Dutch counterpart, 39-year-old Rob Jetten, at The Hague, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said, “India is the youngest nation in the world and the fastest-growing major economy globally. You represent the new generation of leadership in the Netherlands and Europe. We must combine the Netherlands’ expertise with India’s speed and scale across every sector. Our objective is to elevate cooperation in areas such as innovation, investment, sustainability, and defence to new dimensions. Guided by this shared vision, we are today elevating India-Netherlands relations to the level of a Strategic Partnership.”
Economische samenwerking is een belangrijke pijler van de vriendschap tussen India en Nederland. De vrijhandelsovereenkomst tussen India en de EU biedt oneindige mogelijkheden. Er is enorm veel ruimte voor samenwerking op het gebied van fintech, kritieke mineralen, halfgeleiders,… pic.twitter.com/IQxBFrdClL
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) May 16, 2026
Jetten, in a post on X, said, “The friendship between India and the Netherlands is in full bloom. This is also underscored by the visit of Indian Prime Minister Modi to the Netherlands. It is a bond that is furthermore being elevated to an even higher level by our agreement to establish a Strategic Partnership with each other.”
“This partnership is already bearing fruit… ASML and Tata Electronics have also jointly signed a declaration that marks an important step toward closer collaboration in the field of semiconductors. This builds on top of the major, historic trade agreement that India and the EU concluded earlier this year. In short, we are making enormous strides forward in our cooperation, and that is truly a win-win situation.”
Modi said, “We regard the Netherlands as one of India’s most important partners. The Netherlands is one of India’s top five investors. Our historical, cultural, and people-to-people ties are also deeply rooted. Democratic values, a market economy, and responsible conduct form the bedrock of our shared outlook. Our cooperation in sectors such as water, health, and education is actively improving the lives of our people.”
The Strait of Hormuz and the war in West Asia figured in their joint statement. “Both leaders expressed deep concern over the situation in West Asia/the Middle East, noting its serious implications for the region and the wider world, including immense human suffering and disruptions to global energy supplies and trade networks. The leaders welcomed the ceasefire announced on 08 April 2026. They underscored the importance of de-escalation, dialogue and diplomacy and expressed hope for lasting peace in West Asia/the Middle East. They also called for freedom of navigation and global flow of commerce through the Strait of Hormuz, while opposing any restrictive measures, and reaffirmed their support for ongoing efforts and initiatives in this regard.”
One of the major pacts was between TATA Electronics and ASML to support the semiconductor fabrication facility in Gujarat’s Dholera, and the two sides agreed to leverage the MoU on the India-Netherlands Partnership on Semiconductors and Related Emerging Technologies.
“They agreed to connect the Dutch Semicon Competence Centre to the Indian Semiconductor Mission, to support and strengthen the semiconductor sector, specifically industries, startups, scale-ups, SMEs, and their suppliers, through collaboration, technology and talent development. Also, they decided to support the Memorandum of Cooperation between Eindhoven University of Technology and University of Twente and six Indian leading Technical Institutes (IISc Bangalore, IIT Bombay, IIT Delhi, IIT Gandhinagar, IIT Guwahati and IIT Madras) for a brain bridge in semiconductors and related technologies, supported by NXP, ASML, TATA and CG Semi,” the joint statement said.
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On defence cooperation, they agreed to plan a structured joint tri-services interaction between Ministries of Defence of the Directorates of International Military Cooperation to coordinate bilateral military cooperation including cooperation between the defence industry and research centres, the statement said.
They also agreed to work towards a Defence Industrial Roadmap between the two Ministries of Defence in order to promote cooperation between the defence industry and research centre through respective sectoral organisations, the Society of Indian Defence Manufacturers (SIDM) and the Netherlands Industry for Defence and Security (NIDV).
They agreed to examine the feasibility of institutionalising logistic support to military units/formation during training exercises through signing of a Mutual Logistic Support Agreement.
On terrorism, Jetten “strongly condemned the heinous and abhorrent terrorist attack on civilians in Pahalgam”, and extended his country’s unwavering support to India in its fight against terrorism, including cross-border terrorism. The two Prime Ministers unequivocally condemned terrorism in all its forms and manifestations and called for a zero-tolerance approach to terrorism, the joint statement said.
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On security cooperation, they agreed to strengthen bilateral cyber dialogue engagements and efforts to counter cyber threats and cybercrime through capacity building and knowledge exchange. They will continue to work together to conclude a Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty and a new Extradition Treaty.
On the migration pact, it said they agreed to strengthen cooperation with a view to prevent and combat irregular migration and trafficking of human beings, and encourage the fair mobility of highly skilled professionals.
