New Delhi/The Hague : Prime Minister Narendra Modi attended an Indian community reception in The Hague, where he was warmly welcomed by a large gathering of the Indian diaspora and friends of India in the Netherlands.
Addressing the event, the Prime Minister expressed gratitude for the enthusiastic reception and appreciated the contributions of the Indian diaspora in strengthening ties between India and the Netherlands. He described the diaspora as a vital bridge of friendship between the two countries.
He specially acknowledged the Surinami-Hindustani community, highlighting their efforts to preserve and promote their cultural heritage across generations while maintaining strong links with India.
The Prime Minister also noted the growing presence of Indian professionals in the technology sector and an increasing number of Indian students in Dutch universities, particularly in innovation-driven fields. He said these developments are strengthening contemporary India–Netherlands relations. He further pointed out that shared sporting interests such as cricket and hockey are adding new energy to people-to-people connections.
Highlighting bilateral relations, Shri Modi said cooperation between India and the Netherlands is expanding steadily, with technology and innovation emerging as key pillars. He noted that the Netherlands is one of India’s major export destinations in Europe and an important investment partner. He also said that the proposed India–EU Free Trade Agreement would create new opportunities for both sides.
The Prime Minister spoke about India’s ongoing transformation towards becoming a developed nation by 2047 under the vision of Viksit Bharat 2047. He highlighted rapid progress across infrastructure, manufacturing, clean energy and digital sectors, stating that India is actively shaping its future while contributing to global growth.
He assured the diaspora of the Government of India’s continued support for their welfare and encouraged them to contribute to India’s development journey by sharing their experience and expertise from abroad.
The Netherlands hosts the largest population of people of Indian origin in mainland Europe, including around 200,000 members of the Surinami-Hindustani community. In this context, the Prime Minister also highlighted the recent liberalisation of Overseas Citizenship of India (OCI) eligibility for the Surinami-Hindustani diaspora, extending it from the 4th to the 6th generation.