Latest revision as of 07:03, 19 June 2026

[edit] YEAR-WISE DEVELOPMENTS

[edit] 2025

[edit] A

March 19, 2025: The Times of India

New Delhi : India asked the Netherlands to not provide arms, weapon systems, platforms and military technologies to Pakistan, which has sponsored cross-border terrorism for decades, in a meeting between defence minister Rajnath Singh and his counterpart Ruben Brekelmans.


In the delegation-level meet, the two countries decided to elevate their bilateral ties in areas including defence, security, information exchanges, maritime cooperation in the Indo-Pacific, and new and emerging technologies like AI and drones.


The clear takeaway, however, was Singh telling Brekelmans that “equipping” Pakistan with defence equipment and technologies “undermines regional security and stability” in South Asia, sources told TOI.
 “Singh said India has been fighting Pakistan-sponsored terrorism in J&K and elsewhere for decades. India tells all friendly countries that they should not arm Pakistan in any way due to its state policy of fueling terrorism in other countries,” a source added.


The Netherlands, for instance, has supplied two Alkmaar-class mine countermeasures vessels or minehunters, which were built at the Van der Giessen-de Noord shipyard in Alblasserdam. Similarly, the country is also providing 1,900-tonne multi-role offshore patrol vessels from the Damen Shipyards to Pakistan. “Several Dutch companies are interacting with Pakistan in the military arena, especially in the naval domain,” another source said.


In the India-Netherlands meet on Tuesday, the two sides also explored the possibilities of collaboration in shipbuilding, equipment and space sectors, “optimising the complementariness in skills, technology and scale of the two countries”.


“They also discussed working together in domains like AI and related technologies, besides connecting the defence technology research institutes and organizations of the two countries,” a defence ministry official said. India also said Dutch armament companies should be encouraged to integrate Indian vendors into their supply chains.

[edit] B: dual-use technologies

Sachin Parashar, March 19, 2025: The Times of India

New Delhi : One of the global leaders in the semiconductor industry, which is also looking to ramp up its presence in the Indo-Pacific, the Netherlands wants to integrate its defence industry with India with collaboration in dual-use technologies like drones, AI and semiconductors. Dutch defence minister Ruben Brekelmans told TOI in an exclusive interview that the two countries are looking to upgrade their ties to the level of a strategic partnership and it’s important to have a strong defence and security pillar to base it on.


Brekelmans said that the Netherlands, one of the principal backers of Kyiv in Europe, seeks robust security guarantees for Ukraine to blunt Russia’s “imperial ambitions” and to prevent a return to the 19th century.


“Both have strong maritime sectors and there’s more we could do on this. There are also some dual use technologies, for example in drones, AI, semiconductors where there’s a lot of innovation in the Netherlands, also in India. It’d be interesting to look for synergies. India very often doesn’t just have knowledge but also the scale to produce in large numbers. That’s what we need right now. We need to ramp up our defence industries and if there’s also capacity from the Indian side, it can be important,’’ said the minister, before his meeting with counterpart Rajnath Singh this week. 
The Netherlands had imposed restrictions on export of chip equipment in 2023, apparently under pressure from the Biden administration that wanted to curb supplies to China.


Asked about the IndoPacific, where the Netherlands was one of the first European countries to have its own policy, Brekelmans said the Dutch intend to have maritime exercise every two years in the region.


“So, we often have one of our frigates visiting multiple countries, India being one of the important ones of course. We also do air exercises to show indeed that we share the same values and principles,’’ he said.

[edit] 2026

[edit] Strategic partnership, semiconductor fabrication plant

Sachin.Parashar, May 17, 2026: The Times of India

New Delhi : India and the Netherlands upgraded their relationship to a strategic partnership as PM Narendra Modi held bilateral talks with his counterpart Rob Jetten in The Hague. The leaders also witnessed the signing of an agreement between Tata Electronics and ASML to support the semiconductor fabrication plant in Gujarat’s Dholera, with Modi calling it an important step in India’s journey for developing a semiconductor ecosystem in the country.


The Dutch foreign minister, Tom Berendsen, told TOI in an interview that the new strategic partnership will be focused on trade and investment, security, innovation, and people-to-people ties. 


The two PMs welcomed the decision of Tata Electronics and ASML to partner together for India’s first frontend semiconductor Fab in Gujarat, according to the MEA.


The Netherlands has one of the world’s most advanced semiconductor ecosystems, with Dutch multinational ASML being the leading supplier for high-precision lithography equipment, a critical requirement in manufacturing of semiconductor chips. “Semiconductor chips will be manufactured in India using ASML’s equipment. The optimism towards India is clearly visible in all of your words today. We guarantee that this optimism will translate into an outcome,” said Modi in a roundtable with Dutch CEOs. 


The PM said that the year 2026 marks the beginning of a new golden era in India-Europe relations. “This year, we signed the historic India-EU Free Trade Agreement. This agreement, between the world’s two largest democratic and responsible powers, will become a strong foundation for shared prosperity,” he said. 


Ahead of his meeting with the Dutch PM, Modi also said that the two countries were going to take several decisions during his visit, including elevating the trusted relationship to a strategic partnership, launching an ambitious joint roadmap in green hydrogen ensuring tech ties are future-ready. 


As per MEA, Modi’s visit focused on building upon the momentum of high-level engagements and cooperation spanning diverse sectors, including defence, security, innovation, green hydrogen, semiconductors and a strategic partnership on water. The Netherlands is one of India’s largest trade destinations in Europe, with bilateral trade worth $ 27.8 billion (2024-25), and India’s fourth largest investor with cumulative FDI of $55.6 billion.

[edit] 17 strategic pacts

May 18, 2026: The Times of India

New Delhi : PM Narendra Modi’s visit to the Netherlands ended Sunday with 17 outcomes in all, including agreements on migration and mobility, green hydrogen and defence cooperation.


Along with the war in Ukraine, Modi and Dutch PM Rob Jetten also discussed the situation in West Asia, calling for freedom of navigation and global flow of commerce through Strait of Hormuz, while opposing any restrictive measures, and reaffirmed their support for ongoing efforts and initiatives in that regard.


“Both leaders expressed deep concern over the situation in West Asia, noting its serious implications for the region and the wider world, including immense human suffering and disruptions to global energy supplies and trade networks,” said a joint statement, welcoming the ceasefire announced on April 8.


Govt brushed aside questions from local media based on purported remarks by the Dutch PM on minority rights and press freedom in India. “We face these kinds of questions basically because of lack of understanding on the part of the person who asks them. You need to have more understanding of India to appreciate what India is,” said MEA secretary (west) Sibi George. He also clarified that he had not seen any such statement by the Dutch PM.


The visit also saw the two countries upgrading their relationship to a strategic partnership and signing an agreement to support India’s semiconductor fabrication plant in Gujarat. 


According to the joint statement, Jetten strongly condemned the Pahalgam terror attack and expressed Netherlands’ solidarity and 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. They called for a zero-tolerance approach to terrorism and rejected double standards in countering terrorism,” it said. 


The countries also signed aletter of intent to further explore defence industrial cooperation, including the possibility of establishing a roadmap for the manufacturing of defence equipment, components and other key capabilities through co-development, transfer of technology and joint ventures.