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Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has arrived in the Netherlands for a two-day visit to deepen bilateral ties in trade, investment, defense, and semiconductors.

"This visit to the Netherlands is taking place at a time when the free trade agreement between India and the EU has given a significant boost to trade and investment relations," Modi said on X, posting pictures of him being welcomed in Amsterdam on Friday evening."It offers the opportunity to strengthen ties in areas such as semiconductors, water, clean energy, and more," he said.

India has ramped up efforts to alter its global position as a buyer of technology to producing critical tech in collaboration with Western partners. The approach is part of New Delhi's decision to diversifybeyond China-centric supply chains after the disruptions seen during the COVID-19 pandemic and the recent global conflicts.

India first launched domestic chipmaking in 2021 under the "Make in India" initiative and has since expanded on the strategy by approving several projects.Modi has previously spoken about his ambitions of "making India a leader in the global semiconductor value chain."

Apart from chips, the Netherlands is also India's largest export destination in Europe.Modi's Europe tour comes as New Delhi pushes to finalize a free trade agreement with the European Union.

In response to a reporter's question about the pending FTA agreement, a foreign ministry spokesperson said, "That is a priority. We are working with the European Union to have it agreed to at the earliest. So we will be, please keep tuned in for an immediate outcome coming up.

Modi's two days in the Netherlands

The Indian premier was greeted by the Indian diaspora in Amsterdam, where he was welcomed with several traditional dance forms, including one from Modi's home state - Garba.

Over the two days, Modi is expected to hold bilateral talks with the Prime Minister of the Netherlands, meet King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima, and meet the business leaders of the Netherlands.