India's aspirations ‘no longer limited to its borders’: Modi to diaspora in Netherlands

Describing India as a “land of opportunities”, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday (May 16, 2026) said that the country is undergoing an “unprecedented transformation” and its aspirations are “no longer limited to its borders”.

Addressing the Indian community in The Hague, the Prime Minister also said that India is dreaming big and its youth aspires to reach the sky.

Mr. Modi also met King of the Netherlands Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima on Saturday (May 16, 2026) and discussed issues of mutual interest. He is also scheduled to meet his Dutch counterpart Rob Jetten.

“Met His Majesty King Willem-Alexander and Her Majesty Queen Máxima at the Royal Palace. It was wonderful exchanging perspectives on boosting India-Netherlands friendship across key sectors like technology, innovation, sustainable growth, commerce and water resources,” Mr. Modi posted on X after the meeting. He said that India and the Netherlands are “connected by shared interests and a shared belief in building a future-ready planet.”

Both sides noted the close cooperation in the areas of sustainability, climate action, digital technology, innovation, fintech and blue economy, and expressed commitment towards further strengthening India–Netherlands relations, the Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said in a post on X.

The Netherlands also handed back 11th-century Chola dynasty copper plates to India, in an event attended by Mr. Modi, signifying the strengthening of ties between the two countries. The 21 copper plates, belonging to the times of Rajaraja Chola I and brought to the Netherlands in the 1700s from present day Nagapattinam in Tamil Nadu which was then under Dutch control, are considered the most significant surviving records of the Chola dynasty and are among the important artefacts of Tamil heritage held anywhere outside the country. India has been pursuing the return of the plates, known in the Netherlands as the Leiden Plates, since 2012.

Trust and transparency

The Prime Minister’s visit to the European nation is his second trip to the country after a 2017 tour and comes at what officials described as an “important juncture” in India-Netherlands ties.

Officials in the Ministry of External Affairs said the visit carries a “rich and substantive agenda” and is expected to consolidate the strategic dimensions of the partnership that have emerged through sustained engagement between the two countries.

India and the Netherlands have significantly expanded cooperation in recent years beyond traditional sectors such as trade, investment and the priority areas of water, agriculture and health.

Mr. Modi arrived in the Netherlands on Friday (May 15) – after a brief stopover in the UAE – on the second leg of his five-nation tour to further deepen bilateral cooperation in areas such as trade, technology, defence and renewable energy. Other countries in the official tour include Sweden, Norway, and Italy.

Highlighting that India and the Netherlands are working together to create a trusted, transparent, and future-ready supply chain, Mr. Modi told the Indian diaspora in his over 40-minute speech that the Netherlands will become the “natural gateway” for Indian businesses to enter Europe and added that the Indian diaspora can serve as a trusted bridge in this journey.

"From energy security to water security, the Netherlands and India are working together. Our cooperation on green hydrogen is very important. And the historic trade agreement between India and the EU will further strengthen the partnership between India and the Netherlands," he added.

He urged all “friends of India” in the European country to increase cooperation with India as much as possible. "This will also increase India's potential, and the return on your investments will also be higher. This is Modi's guarantee," he said, amid applause from the audience.

"Today, our India is dreaming big. Today, the country is saying - we do not just want transformation, we want the best. And we do not just want the best, we want the fastest. And that is why when aspirations are unlimited in India, efforts are also becoming limitless," he said.

Mr. Modi also said that many cultures have vanished over time, but India's diverse culture “still beats in the hearts of its people”. "Generations have changed, countries have changed, environments have changed... but the family values have not changed," he said and appealed to the Indian community to connect with their ancestral villages in India. "India of the 21st century is a land of opportunities. India is both technology-driven and humanity-driven. India is becoming as modern as it is ancient. Therefore, this is also the time to connect with your ancestral villages in India, and to participate in the journey of developed India," he said.

The Prime Minister assured the diaspora that the Government of India stood firmly behind every Indian living abroad and remained committed to their welfare.

Referring to the COVID pandemic, global conflicts, and the energy crisis caused by the ongoing conflict in West Asia, Mr. Modi said this decade is becoming a “decade of challenges” for the world. "If these situations are not changed rapidly, the achievements of the past decades will be washed away. The vast majority of the world's population will again slip into the quagmire of poverty," he warned.

Technical advancements

Stressing that India is currently experiencing an “unprecedented transformation”, Mr. Modi said: "You must have seen recently that India hosted the world’s largest and most successful AI Summit. Before that, India also successfully hosted the G-20 Summit. And this was not a one-time event. This has now become the character of today’s India."

Mr. Modi said the youth of India want to touch the sky now, and cited that as a reason behind India's startup ecosystem getting stronger. "Now we are the third-largest startup ecosystem in the world," he added. "India’s aspirations today are no longer limited to its borders. India wants to host the Olympics, become a global manufacturing hub, emerge as a leader in green energy and become the growth engine of the world," he said.

“India reached the moon where no one could reach before”, he said, referring to India’s space mission. India made history when its Chandrayaan-3 mission successfully executed a soft landing on the lunar far side - often referred to as the 'dark side' - in 2023.

Commending the “remarkable work” by Indian startups, Mr. Modi said the country now has nearly 125 active unicorn startups while it had only four in 2014. "Today, our startups are doing remarkable work in AI, defence, and the space sector. This culture of research and innovation is becoming even more expansive," he said.

Mr. Modi also said both countries are doing a lot together in the field of sports. Hailing the Indian community's contribution to Dutch cricket, he said: "We all feel great when we see Teja Nidamanuru and Vikramjit Singh in the Netherlands jersey, or when young players like Aryan Dutt contribute to the future of Dutch cricket."

Underlining that the Netherlands is known for tulips, Mr. Modi said India is known for the lotus. "Both tulips and the lotus teach us that whether the roots are in water or on the earth, if proper nutrition is given, one gains both beauty and strength," he said, adding that this is also the basis of the partnership between India and the Netherlands.

Festive atmosphere

Mr. Modi, who was accorded a warm and colourful reception by a large gathering on arrival in the Netherlands, expressed his gratitude to the Indian diaspora and friends of India in the country. He said that, for a while, he had forgotten he was in the Netherlands. "It feels like a festival is going on somewhere in India."

Highlighting the relevance of May 16, Mr. Modi told the audience how his party won the general election in India on this date 12 years ago, adding that “a stable and absolute majority government was set to be formed in India after decades.”

Mr. Modi said he was painted in the “colour of patriotism” from a young age. "When I look back, 13 years as Chief Minister [of Gujarat], 12 years as Prime Minister, the continuous support of millions and millions of voters for 25 years in the democratic world is a very great fortune for me," he said.