India upgrades bilateral ties with the Netherlands

18 MAY 2026

India and the Netherlands upgraded bilateral ties to a Strategic Partnership and signed 17 pacts and MoUs during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the country.
The two sides signed 17 agreements and memoranda of understanding (MoUs) in areas of “WAH” (water, agriculture, and health), renewable energy, critical minerals, and a semiconductor fabrication project between TATA Electronics and Dutch company ASML.

Insiya Case

Recently elected Dutch Prime Minister Rob Jetten said he had raised “sensitive topics” with Mr. Modi, including a legal custody and abduction case involving a Dutch-born child, Insiya.
Insiya was allegedly abducted by her father (an Indian) in 2016, as her mother protested.
India’s help is sought to trace and extradite the child and bring the father to justice.

Press Freedom and Minority Rights in India

Besides, a number of Dutch media outlets reported that Mr. Jetten spoke about concerns over “press freedoms and minority rights in India”, which the External Affairs Ministry later pushed back on.

India-Nordic Summit

Mr. Modi flew to Sweden for a half-day stop as part of his five-nation week-long visit, which will bring him to Oslo for bilateral talks and the 3rd India-Nordic Summit
The summit brought together Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the leaders of all five Nordic nations: Norway, Sweden, Finland, Denmark and Iceland.
The 3rd India-Nordic Summit took place in Oslo, Norway, on May 19, 2026.
The 2nd India-Nordic Summit was held in Copenhagen, Denmark, on May 4, 2022.
The 1st India-Nordic Summit was held in Stockholm, Sweden, on April 16-17, 2018.