The Indian community is the most important pillar of the growing bilateral relations between India and the Netherlands and serves as a bridge not only between India and the Netherlands, but between India and Europe, said President Ram Nath Kovind.
He was addressing members of the Indian community at an event hosted by India’s Ambassador to the Netherlands, Reenat Sandhu in Amsterdam on Wednesday.
He said that today the Indian community in the Netherlands is the largest ethnic Indian diaspora in continental Europe with over 200,000 members of the Hindustani-Surinamese community and over 60,000 Indian professionals and students.
Kovind noted that the Indian professionals in the Netherlands have done extremely well. As entrepreneurs, doctors, bankers and technology experts, they add immense value to Dutch society and economy as well as to the global community as a whole. He said India is proud of its achievements and success.
India is deeply committed to strengthening its ties with the Diaspora and responding to its needs. Over the past few years, our engagement and awareness of the Indian Diaspora has grown. We have taken several initiatives under the maxim of 4Cs – Care, Connect, Celebrate and Contribute, he said.
The President said that India today abounds with opportunities for business, social enterprise and cultural connections. He invited members of the Indian community to join India’s transformational journey. He said they can contribute with their ideas, business models and investment profiles.
Kovind said that we rely on the Netherlands as a key partner in our national flagship programs – Make in India, Skill India, Clean India and Digital India. We are keen to leverage Dutch technology, know-how and investment for growth and development in India and the Indian community can play an important role in achieving this goal.
