India-Netherlands pact: green hydrogen, chips in 2026

Strategic partnership upgrade in The Hague

India and the Netherlands have agreed to formally elevate their bilateral relationship to a strategic partnership after talks between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Netherlands Prime Minister Rob Jetten in The Hague. India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said the two leaders acknowledged stronger convergence and decided to deepen cooperation across trade, investment and key technology-led sectors. The agenda spans semiconductors, green energy, defence and water management, along with collaboration in agriculture, health, education, culture and mobility.

The MEA said the official talks were followed by the exchange of agreements and Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs). It also said both sides adopted an “ambitious roadmap” for the strategic partnership to guide sector-wise cooperation. The announcement brings fresh attention to Indo-Dutch engagement at a time when India is actively pursuing supply chain resilience and technology partnerships.

Trade and investment remain the base of the relationship

The Netherlands continues to be a major European trade destination for India. Bilateral trade was stated at $17.8 billion in FY2024-25, and the Netherlands was described as India’s 4th largest investor, with cumulative FDI of $15.6 billion. Officials also pointed to the role of trade facilitation and resilient supply chains as central pillars in the next phase of the partnership.

The MEA framed the broader intent as strengthening trade facilitation, improving supply chain resilience and expanding cooperation in emerging areas of technology. The strategic partnership label typically signals that both sides want to take long-term decisions across multiple ministries and agencies, rather than pursue isolated project-level engagement.

Semiconductors: Tata Electronics-ASML agreement highlighted

A key outcome cited by the MEA was an agreement signed between Tata Electronics and ASML, linked to supporting India’s semiconductor fabrication plans. The MEA Secretary (West), Sibi George, described the Tata-ASML agreement as a significant development for India’s semiconductor ecosystem. He said it followed earlier partnerships signed in semiconductors, emerging technologies and critical minerals.

The MEA said the leaders welcomed the decision by Tata Electronics and ASML to partner for India’s first front-end semiconductor fab in Gujarat, at Dholera. ASML, headquartered in the Netherlands, was described as the leading global supplier of high-precision lithography equipment used in chip manufacturing, making the partnership relevant for India’s fabrication ambitions.

Green hydrogen roadmap and a sea corridor proposal

On clean energy, the MEA said both countries adopted an ambitious Green Hydrogen Roadmap to support India’s production, usage and export of green hydrogen. The two sides also recorded progress in discussions aimed at developing a green and digital sea corridor connecting Indian and Dutch ports, according to the MEA.

Separately, prior reporting included green hydrogen as a key area of interest, with India keen to supply volumes to power operations linked to the port of Rotterdam. These strands connect trade logistics with energy transition priorities, especially where exports, port infrastructure and technology standards intersect.

Water management: Kalpasar and a new centre of excellence

Water cooperation featured prominently in the visit outcomes. The MEA highlighted a Letter of Intent for technical cooperation on the Kalpasar project in Gujarat, which was described as a major outcome. Sibi George said the Kalpasar project is envisaged as a multi-purpose “mega water” project aimed at creating a freshwater reservoir and improving water security in the Saurashtra region.

George added that the Kalpasar concept bears similarities to the dyke system in northern Netherlands and that Dutch expertise could play an important role. In a separate institutional step, he said both leaders welcomed the establishment of a Centre of Excellence on water under India’s Ministry of Jal Shakti, in collaboration with the Netherlands’ Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management, at IIT Delhi.

Hydrogen research push: fellowship and IIT collaborations

Beyond government-to-government commitments, India and the Netherlands have also advanced cooperation in green hydrogen research and talent development through the Department of Science and Technology (DST). The India-Netherlands Hydrogen Fellowship Programme was launched as a national capacity-building initiative for eligible doctoral, postdoctoral and faculty applicants from Indian institutions.

DST said the fellowship will provide structured exposure to hydrogen ecosystems in the Netherlands, covering system integration, safety, techno-economic analysis, life-cycle assessment and indigenisation pathways. Alongside this, DST hosted the signing of an MoU between the University of Groningen and 19 Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) to support long-term academic cooperation, including faculty and student exchanges and joint research projects. DST Secretary Prof. Abhay Karandikar said international collaboration and targeted capacity-building are important to move hydrogen technologies from research to real-world deployment.

People-to-people and education links

Education was also cited as an area for expanding engagement. Prior reporting referenced about 3,500 Indian students in the Netherlands, alongside expectations of closer ties between Dutch educational institutions and India’s IIT ecosystem. These academic links complement the hydrogen fellowship and university-IIT MoU, creating channels for research, training and exchanges.

Key facts at a glance

Market and sector implications for India

For India’s semiconductor supply chain, the Tata Electronics-ASML agreement is notable because ASML’s lithography equipment is essential for chip manufacturing. The MEA’s framing links the agreement to India’s broader push to build a domestic semiconductor ecosystem and create high-skilled jobs. The focus on “resilient supply chains” also aligns with India’s wider effort to reduce import dependence in critical technologies, including semiconductors.

On energy transition themes, the green hydrogen roadmap and the sea corridor discussions indicate that both sides are trying to align clean energy ambitions with trade logistics. Water cooperation, including the Kalpasar Letter of Intent and the Centre of Excellence at IIT Delhi, adds an infrastructure and climate-resilience dimension to the partnership.

What to watch next

The MEA said an ambitious roadmap has been adopted to guide cooperation across sectors and that agreements and MoUs were exchanged after the official talks. The next milestones are likely to come through follow-up workstreams across ministries and institutions, including progress on the green hydrogen roadmap, the port corridor discussions, and technical cooperation on the Kalpasar project. Developments around the Dholera semiconductor fab and the Tata Electronics-ASML engagement will also be closely tracked given its relevance for India’s fabrication plans.