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Dutch Business Leaders Praise PM Modi's Vision

Dutch business leaders praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision for India's economic growth and highlighted expanding opportunities in semiconductors, infrastructure and trade following their interaction with him at the CEO Round Table on Economic Ties.

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Speaking to ANI on Saturday (local time), Boudewijn Siemons, Chief Executive Officer of Port of Rotterdam Authority, said he was impressed by Prime Minister Modi's energy and determination during the interaction. He added that India and the Netherlands have significant opportunities to further strengthen economic partnerships and bilateral relations. "I am tremendously impressed by the energy and the determination with which the Prime Minister Modi addressed us. What I specifically liked is that he said the best is yet to come...I agree with him that the best is yet to come and that we have massive opportunities to increase our relationships, partnerships and our economies," said Boudewijn Siemons.

Semiconductor Ambitions Highlighted

Meanwhile, Christophe Fouquet, President and Chief Executive Officer of ASML, said the strategic partnership signed between ASML and Tata Electronics reflects India's growing ambitions in the semiconductor sector under Prime Minister Modi's leadership. Recalling his participation at the Semicon India event last year, Fouquet said he had been impressed by India's plans and progress in the semiconductor sector. "The strategic partnership that we signed today with Tata Electronics is the result of the very strong ambition from PM Modi to get the semiconductor industry in India...A year ago, he set the course to get that industry in India. I was at Semi-India last year in September, and I was already very impressed by the plans, the ambition and in the last few months, we see that happening...We are very happy to work very closely with Tata Electronics to make that ambition become reality," he said.

Strengthening Trade and Infrastructure

Chief Executive Officer of APM Terminals, Keith Svendsen, also welcomed India's economic growth ambitions and emphasised the importance of an India-European Union trade agreement in strengthening business relations. He further said APM Terminals is making progress on commitments discussed with Prime Minister Modi last year, including shipbuilding, container manufacturing and development of training centres in India. "It's great to hear the ambition of India and the economic growth that will come from India, and signing the trade agreement with the EU is a very important step to strengthen the relationship between companies and India. We are making progress on the very concrete agreements we have made with Prime Minister Modi last year in building ships in India, building containers in India, building training education centres for our sector, so we can get the young people to join our sector. We are also investing in new infrastructure in India," said Svendsen.

Meanwhile, Dick Richelle, Chairman of the Executive Board and CEO of Vopak, praised India's transformation over the past decade. He added that there remains significant potential for cooperation between India, the Netherlands and the European Union, particularly in infrastructure development and investment. "I'm absolutely amazed by the fantastic transformation that has happened in India over the past 12 years under the leadership of Prime Minister Modi...As Prime Minister Modi also indicated, there's much more to come and I think especially in the cooperation between India and the Netherlands, India and the European Union, there's plenty of opportunities for a company like Vopak to continue to invest and strengthen the infrastructure that India so much needs," he said.

PM Modi Highlights India's Growth and Reforms

Highlighting how the relationship between India and the Netherlands has only grown over the years, Prime Minister Narendra Modi remarked how continued trade and investment have enabled more than 300 Dutch companies to be part of the India story. PM Modi, while delivering remarks during the CEOs Roundtable in the Netherlands, said that the Netherlands has become India's largest investor from Europe and the second-largest trading partner. "Namaste to all of you. It's a great pleasure for me to be here today among the leaders of the world's most innovative companies. Today, more than 300 Dutch companies are part of the India story. Because of your vision and confidence in India, the Netherlands has become India's largest investor from Europe and the second-largest trading partner," he said.

"Friends, your companies are not just well-known brands in India, but also brand ambassadors of India-Netherlands friendship. We are very happy that NXP, Philips, and Prosus are creating world-leading solutions with Indian talent. Companies like APM, Damen, and Royal Vopak are transforming India's port, shipping, and logistics sectors, while many others in agriculture and sustainability are working with India to ensure a better future for the world. A short while ago, an MOU was signed between ASML and Tata; now, semiconductor chips will be manufactured in India with ASML's equipment," he said.

A Symbol of Scale and Stability

PM Modi further said that today's India is a symbol of scale and stability. "In all your words today, optimism towards India is clearly visible. It is our guarantee to turn this optimism into outcomes. Friends, today's India is a symbol of scale and stability. Talking about scale, we are the world's fastest-growing major economy and also the world's largest talent pool. No one in the world can match India's speed in infrastructure, clean energy, or connectivity. For this reason, India is contributing 17% to global growth today," he said.

Commitment to Reforms and Ease of Doing Business

PM Modi further said that India is continuously reducing compliance and increasing the ease of doing business. "On the subject of stability, as the Prime Minister of the world's largest democracy, I have completed 12 years of service today. In these 12 years, we have transformed our economic DNA with continuous reforms. Our direction has been clear: to provide policy predictability to the private sector and increase opportunities for them. We have opened up every sector for the private sector, be it space, mining, or nuclear energy. We are continuously reducing compliance and increasing the ease of doing business," he said. (ANI)