India-Netherlands
India, Netherlands elevate ties to Strategic Partnership; adopt ambitious 2026–2030 roadmap
Narendra Modi and his Dutch counterpart Rob Jetten on Saturday agreed to elevate the India-Netherlands bilateral relationship to a Strategic Partnership, setting the stage for deeper collaboration through focused, time-bound initiatives and joint action plans.
During their meeting in The Hague, both leaders adopted the India-Netherlands Strategic Partnership Roadmap for 2026–2030, outlining cooperation across political dialogue, economic growth, innovation, defence, climate action, mobility, and cultural exchanges.
Strengthening Political Dialogue
Both nations agreed to maintain regular high-level engagements, including reciprocal visits by heads of government, foreign ministers, and cabinet-level officials. An annual foreign ministers’ mechanism will be instituted to review progress under the roadmap and provide strategic direction for future cooperation.
Boosting Trade and Investment
India and the Netherlands committed to expanding bilateral trade and investment under the Joint Trade and Investment Committee (JTIC), with special focus on:
Renewable energy
Telecommunications
Maritime and infrastructure development
Urban development
Electronics and semiconductors
Agriculture
Pharmaceuticals and medical technology
Organic chemicals, textiles, steel, and aluminium
The two countries also pledged to facilitate business matchmaking, encourage joint ventures, strengthen SME participation, and enhance supply chain resilience through technological collaboration.
Critical Minerals and Industrial Cooperation
Both sides agreed to deepen cooperation across the critical raw materials value chain, supporting supply chain diversification, innovation, circular economy principles, and ESG standards under their critical minerals partnership.
Water, Agriculture and Health Collaboration
India and the Netherlands expressed their shared ambition to renew the Strategic Partnership on Water beyond 2027, focusing on:
Integrated water resource management
Flood resilience
Urban river planning
Sustainable water availability in the Ganga Basin
The countries will also strengthen cooperation in agriculture, climate-resilient farming, agri-tech innovation, biotechnology, and startup development.
In healthcare, collaboration will focus on:
Infectious disease surveillance
Antimicrobial resistance
Non-communicable diseases
Digital health and cybersecurity
Climate-health linkages
Capacity building through institutions such as Indian Council of Medical Research and the Dutch National Institute for Public Health and the Environment.
Semiconductors and Emerging Technologies
A major emphasis was placed on semiconductors and advanced technologies.
The two nations agreed to build trusted semiconductor supply chains, expand cooperation in AI, quantum technologies, photonics and cybersecurity, and strengthen ties between the Dutch semiconductor competence ecosystem and India’s Semiconductor Mission.
A landmark academic partnership involving leading Indian institutes, including Indian Institute of Science and several IITs, alongside Dutch universities and industry giants such as ASML, NXP Semiconductors, and Tata Group, will support talent development and innovation.
Renewable Energy and Maritime Cooperation
India and the Netherlands will establish a Joint Working Group on Renewable Energy and work toward:
A green hydrogen corridor connecting India to European markets
Collaboration on battery storage and bioenergy
Climate adaptation and mitigation technologies
Circular economy and waste-to-energy solutions
The two countries also agreed to develop a Green and Digital Sea Corridor, aimed at building a sustainable, digitally integrated maritime route to strengthen trade and support India’s green hydrogen exports to Europe.
Enhanced Defence and Security Cooperation
Defence cooperation will expand through:
Structured tri-services military interactions
Joint naval exercises
Technology collaboration in defence platforms
Defence industrial roadmap development
Feasibility studies for a Mutual Logistic Support Agreement
On security, both sides committed to stronger cooperation on counterterrorism, cybersecurity, maritime security, and critical technology protection.
Mobility and Migration
Recognising deep historical ties, both nations resolved to facilitate fair migration and smoother mobility for:
Students
Researchers
Academics
Young professionals
Highly skilled workers
Regular consular dialogues will continue to address pending matters and improve bilateral mobility frameworks.
Cultural and People-to-People Ties
The roadmap also seeks to deepen cultural engagement through:
Heritage preservation initiatives
Museum partnerships
Cultural exchange programmes
Promotion of tourism flows
Both sides acknowledged the vital contribution of the vibrant Indian diaspora in the Netherlands in strengthening bilateral friendship and cultural understanding.
The adoption of this roadmap marks a significant milestone in India-Netherlands relations, signalling a future-focused partnership built on innovation, sustainability, resilience, and shared global ambitions.
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