From Trade to Tech: The strategic partnership between India and Netherlands

Picture Credit: by The Economic Times

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in the Netherlands this weekend with an ambitious agenda, and left having signed 17 agreements, elevated bilateral ties to a Strategic Partnership, and sparked a minor diplomatic row, all within 48 hours.

The headline achievement was substance. India and the Netherlands formalised cooperation across water management, agriculture, health, renewable energy, and critical minerals. The centrepiece was a landmark semiconductor fabrication deal between India's Tata Electronics and Dutch giant ASML, a pairing that signals India's growing ambitions in the global chip supply chain at a moment when the world is scrambling to reduce dependence on Taiwan.

But the visit was not without friction. Newly elected Dutch Prime Minister Rob Jetten used the occasion to raise what he called "sensitive topics", including concerns over press freedom and minority rights in India, and the unresolved case of Insiya, a Dutch-born child allegedly abducted by her Indian father in 2016 when she was just two years old. Her mother, Nadia Rashid, led protests outside the Dutch Palace as Modi met with the Dutch royal family, demanding India help trace her daughter and extradite her former husband, who has been convicted of abduction in the Netherlands.

India's Ministry of External Affairs pushed back sharply. MEA Secretary Sibi George rejected the human rights concerns outright, telling Dutch journalists: "You need to have more understanding of India to appreciate what India is." He also notably stated that Jetten had not raised press freedom or minority rights during the bilateral meetings themselves, contradicting Dutch media reports.

On the Insiya case, the MEA confirmed it was raised but said the matter remains sub judice.

Modi flew on to Sweden on Sunday, with Norway and a Nordic-India Summit next on his schedule. The week-long, five-nation tour underscores how urgently India is deepening its European relationships, on its own terms.