Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday invited Dutch companies to design, innovate, and manufacture in India, highlighting the country’s wide range of business opportunities.He encouraged firms to explore sectors such as maritime, renewable energy, digital technologies, semiconductors, artificial intelligence, and healthcare.PM Modi, who is in the Netherlands for a visit during the second leg of his five-nation tour, also witnessed the signing of an agreement between Tata Electronics and ASML to extend support to the semiconductor fab in Dholera, Gujarat. He was accompanied by his Dutch counterpart, Rob Jetten, as the two prime ministers called for the early implementation of the India-EU Free Trade Agreement (FTA). According to an official release, the FTA reinforces India and the European Union as trusted and reliable partners.India a symbol of scale and stability: PM ModiAddressing the CEO roundtable, PM Modi said that India has grown into a symbol of scale and stability, adding that no country in the world can match its speed in infrastructure, clean energy, and connectivity. He noted that India now contributes 17 per cent to global growth.Emphasising that India’s economy has been reshaped through continuous reforms, the Prime Minister said the government has worked to provide greater policy stability for businesses while expanding private sector opportunities. He added that sectors such as space, mining, and nuclear energy have been progressively opened up.He further elaborated: “We are continuously reducing compliance burdens and enhancing the ease of doing business. Recently, we implemented next-generation reforms in areas such as taxation, labour codes, and governance.”Manufacturing in India is becoming highly cost-effective: PMPM Modi added that manufacturing in India is becoming highly cost-effective, while in the services sector, the country has become an engine of efficiency and innovation on the strength of its talent.He also informed the gathering that all global technology companies have set up their global capability centres in India.India-Netherlands partnershipCommenting on bilateral ties, PM Modi said that he and his Dutch counterpart would take several significant decisions. “We are going to transform this trusted India-Netherlands partnership into a strategic partnership. We are launching an ambitious joint roadmap for green hydrogen. We are making our ties in the technology sector future-ready,” he added.Additionally, the two countries will further strengthen talent mobility, university partnerships, and joint research and development (R&D).He pointed out that over 300 Dutch companies are now part of India’s growth story. He also said that the Netherlands is India’s largest European investor and its second-largest trading partner.The two sides also signed several agreements to further boost cooperation across a range of areas.The Netherlands is one of India’s largest trading destinations in Europe, with bilateral trade reaching $27.8 billion in 2024–25. The European nation is India’s fourth-largest investor, with cumulative foreign direct investment of $55.6 billion.PM Modi hails Indians’ contribution to the NetherlandsPM Modi, who arrived in The Hague on Friday, received a warm welcome from members of the Indian diaspora in the Netherlands. He praised the Indian diaspora for its contributions to Dutch society, describing it as a living bridge of friendship between India and the Netherlands.The Netherlands is home to the largest number of people of Indian origin in mainland Europe, including around 200,000 members of the Surinamese-Hindustani community.(With agency inputs)