PM Modi tells Dutch companies to invest, innovate and manufacture in India

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday invited Dutch companies to design, innovate and manufacture in India, saying the country offers “immense opportunities” as India continues to expand its manufacturing and technology sectors.

Addressing the CEO Roundtable in The Hague, Modi said India had emerged as a symbol of “scale and stability” and added that no other country could match its pace in infrastructure, clean energy and connectivity development.

“This is why India is contributing 17% to global growth,” the Prime Minister said.

Modi said the government had transformed India’s “economic DNA” through continuous reforms aimed at increasing private sector participation and improving policy predictability.

He said sectors such as space, mining and nuclear energy had been opened up for private investment to create more opportunities for businesses.

“We are continuously reducing compliance and increasing the ease of doing business. We have recently carried out next-generation reforms in taxation, labour code, and governance,” Modi told business leaders at the roundtable.

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

The Prime Minister said manufacturing in India was becoming increasingly cost-effective, while the services sector had emerged as a centre for efficiency and innovation because of the country’s talent base.

He also said major global technology companies had established their global capability centres in India.

“We invite all of you to design and innovate in India. There can be no better time for this than today,” Modi said.

Speaking about the proposed India-European Union free trade agreement, Modi said the pact between “the world’s two largest democratic and responsible powers” would become a strong foundation for shared prosperity.

The Prime Minister also said India and the Netherlands were moving towards making their trusted partnership a strategic partnership.

“The future of the India-Netherlands partnership is brighter than ever before,” he added.

During the visit, Prime Minister Modi, accompanied by Netherlands Prime Minister Rob Jetten, witnessed the signing of an agreement between Tata Electronics and ASML to support the semiconductor Fab project in Dholera, Gujarat.

ASML is one of the world’s leading suppliers of high-precision lithography equipment used in semiconductor chip manufacturing.

Tata Electronics, a subsidiary of the Tata Group, is establishing a semiconductor manufacturing facility in Gujarat.