NL Embassy for India, Nepal and Bhutan🇮🇳🇳🇵🇧🇹

Embassy of the Netherlands for India, Nepal & Bhutan | #NLIndia News in SDGs, Water, Agriculture, Health, Human Rights, Innovation | Ambassador @marisagerards।

[NL Times @NL_Times]

Hindus across the Netherlands marked Diwali, the festival of lights, with temple services and family gatherings on Sunday as the main day of the five-day celebration. https://t.co/z3W7a6Jepp

[Rob Jetten @MinPres]

Vandaag wordt Diwali gevierd, het feest van het licht. Duizenden mensen binnen de Hindoestaanse gemeenschap in Nederland en miljoenen wereldwijd komen samen om stil te staan bij de overwinning van het goede op het kwade, van het licht op de duisternis en bij de kracht van positiviteit en optimisme.

Ik wens iedereen een heel vrolijk, gelukkig en gezegend Diwali toe!

[NL Embassy for India, Nepal and Bhutan🇮🇳🇳🇵🇧🇹 @NLinIndia]

आप सभी को दीपावली की हार्दिक शुभकामनाएँ! 🪔✨

[NL Embassy for India, Nepal and Bhutan🇮🇳🇳🇵🇧🇹 @NLinIndia]

Delegates from the Netherlands were pleased to take part in the Arise Cities Forum 2026.

Sara Cohen, Head of Economic Affairs, spoke in the session “Global Ambition, Multilevel Action: The Urban Climate Resolve”, where she highlighted the importance of commitment to climate resilient, inclusive and sustainable cities worldwide. She emphasised that in order to turn ambition into action we require stronger multilateral governance, measurable results and coalitions to ensure solutions are fit for purpose.

Maurits Bosman, Delegated Water Representative, participated in the session “Decoding Climate Action in Urban Ecosystems”, where best practice was exchanged on how cities and states can move beyond climate action planning towards sustained implementation and institutionalisation, where he provided practical, systems-based urban climate solutions from the Netherlands.

[NL Embassy for India, Nepal and Bhutan🇮🇳🇳🇵🇧🇹 @NLinIndia]

What does the chip in your phone have to do with India and the Netherlands? Quite a lot, as it turns out.

From the devices we use every day to the technologies shaping our future, semiconductors are behind more than we realise.

And behind these tiny chips is a much bigger story of collaboration.

Introducing The Indo-Dutch Way, a new series exploring how the India–Netherlands Strategic Partnership is taking shape in the world around us. Our first chapter takes us to SEMICON India, where Dutch expertise and Indian strengths are coming together to advance the next generation of technology.

And semiconductors are only the beginning.

Chapter two is coming soon! Follow #TheIndoDutchWay to discover what comes next.

#IndiaNetherlands #StrategicPartnership #Semiconductors

[NL Embassy for India, Nepal and Bhutan🇮🇳🇳🇵🇧🇹 @NLinIndia]

How do we look at heritage, including young heritage? What policies shape its conservation and reuse, and how can we learn from each other across contexts? Jugaadopolis, @RCE_erfgoed and @ReinwardtAcad have been working on a collaborative research project, “Reimagine, Retrofit, Reuse: An Indo-Dutch Perspective,” exploring adaptive reuse practices and approaches to historic buildings across both countries. As part of the project, experts from RCE visited India to learn more about how the city works and to exchange perspectives on heritage, urban change, and the possibilities of adaptive reuse. Many thanks to the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs for facilitating the visits and making this exchange possible! 

#cultureconnect #culturalexchange

[NL Embassy for India, Nepal and Bhutan🇮🇳🇳🇵🇧🇹 @NLinIndia]

India is home to 120 million adolescent girls. Ensuring they can turn their potential into opportunity is essential for securing gender equality and sustaining India’s economic growth.

On the occasion of the International Day of the Girl Child, the Residence of the Netherlands hosted the 8th UNICEF and Nordic+ Embassies Breakfast Series. UNICEF India Country Director Cynthia McCaffrey set the scene, while Mary Thomas, Gender and Development Specialist at UNICEF India, moderated the discussion, bringing together embassies, businesses and partners to explore how girls can move from education to work and economic independence.

Together with NXP India’s Kankana Karkun and Women on Wings’ Shikha Bansal, participants explored how to bridge the gap between education and employment, from equipping young women with skills for careers in technology to helping women-led businesses grow. 

Ambassador @marisagerards highlighted that investing in girls means investing in our economy. Every girl has potential; what she needs is good education, skills and opportunities for internships and jobs. Safety at and on the way to school, as well as support from family and community, is crucial. Let’s give our girls the freedom to make their own choices and shape their own future.

[NL Embassy for India, Nepal and Bhutan🇮🇳🇳🇵🇧🇹 @NLinIndia]

Our Ambassador Marisa Gerards, met with India’s Chief of Defence Staff General NS Raja Subramani, PVSM, AVSM, SM, VSM, in New Delhi, together with Defence Attaché Captain (Navy) Geordie Klein, and Political Counsellor Arjen Nauta.

Appointed CDS on 31 May 2026, General Subramani previously served as Military Adviser at the National Security Council Secretariat.

Discussions focused on the growing IN-NL bilateral relationship, underpinned by the Strategic Partnership and the Letter of Intent on Defence Cooperation, as well as the EU–India Security and Defence Partnership announced earlier this year. Both sides highlighted opportunities to strengthen cooperation between Dutch and Indian defence industries and research centres, particularly in specialised niche areas.

Ambassador Gerards also highlighted upcoming defence exhibitions, including the Netherlands Exhibition on Defence and Security in Rotterdam (18–19 November 2026) and Aero India in Bengaluru (8–12 February 2027), as platforms for identifying new business opportunities and fostering closer industry ties.

Finally, they exchanged views on the maritime situation in West Asia. Ambassador Gerards briefed General Subramani on the prepositioning of the Dutch frigate HNLMS Evertsen in the region. The Netherlands and India continue to explore opportunities to deepen defence cooperation and advance their strategic partnership. 🤝

[NL Embassy for India, Nepal and Bhutan🇮🇳🇳🇵🇧🇹 @NLinIndia]

At the Trust & Safety India Festival (#TASI2026) in Delhi, 100+ speakers from 20 countries explored how to make the digital world safer. In her keynote on Journalism, Democracy and Trust in the Age of AI, Ambassador Marisa Gerards highlighted the importance of ensuring that AI strengthens trust and democracy, while protecting independent journalism and press freedom.

“Technology should help them do that, not make it harder.”

The conversations continued into the evening at the Residence where ambassador Marisa Gerards and Peter Knoope hosted a reception, where participants reflected on the importance of international cooperation in building a safer digital future.

#TASI2026 #TrustAndSafety #DigitalSafety #OnlineSafety #CSRIndia @CSR_India

[NL Embassy for India, Nepal and Bhutan🇮🇳🇳🇵🇧🇹 @NLinIndia]

We wish all our friends in India and the Netherlands celebrating the festival ♥️ Happy Dusshera!

आप सभी को दशहरा की शुभकमनाएं!

#happydussehra🔥🏹 #shubhkamnaen🙏🙏🙏❤️❤️ #festivevibes #familytime #joyandhappiness #celebration

Photo credit: Dilip Poddar

[NL Embassy for India, Nepal and Bhutan🇮🇳🇳🇵🇧🇹 @NLinIndia]

To mark the beginning of the festive week, Ambassador Marisa Gerards inaugurated a Durga Puja pandal in Ballygunge, Kolkata. This pandal uniquely hosted the work of Dutch artist Femke van Gemert, who is in India as part of the Embassy’s Rembrandt Residency programme. Femke’s has used discarded fabric and fishnet scraps to create a magnificent wave, titled “Five Oceans, One Eternal Source of All Life”. This is a beautiful reflection of India – Netherlands cultural ties! 

We wish everyone a joyful Durga Puja to spend time reconnecting with family and loved ones. 

#Durgapuja2026

[NL Embassy for India, Nepal and Bhutan🇮🇳🇳🇵🇧🇹 @NLinIndia]

Seventy years of the Delhi–Amsterdam route ✈️

On 29 September, the residence of Ambassador Marisa Gerards was lit up in KLM blue 💙 as we marked seven decades of connectivity between India and the Netherlands, thanks to our friends from KLM.

We were delighted to host Stefan Gumuseli, General Manager Air France KLM India & Middle East, and Laure Daynié, Country Manager India, whose teams keep this route flying every day.

KLM has been a bridge for so many businesses, students, friends and families. With this anniversary, we celebrate the airline and the bridge it has built between our two countries, bringing people and ideas closer together.

[NL Embassy for India, Nepal and Bhutan🇮🇳🇳🇵🇧🇹 @NLinIndia]

On Gandhi Jayanti, we reflect on the enduring power of non-violence, dialogue and peace. Gandhi’s legacy reminds us that meaningful and lasting change can be achieved through understanding, resilience and peaceful action.

#गांधी_जयंती #GandhiJayanti.

Photo by Vikas Rohilla on Unsplash

[NL Embassy for India, Nepal and Bhutan🇮🇳🇳🇵🇧🇹 @NLinIndia]

Today, the Minister continued his visit to Mumbai, with a full day focused on strengthening cooperation across India and the Netherlands’ agricultural and food sectors. 🇳🇱🇮🇳

He had a working breakfast with business leaders and deliberated on how the Indo-Dutch Business Ecosystem in agri value chain can be strengthened

Later, at the Anuga Exhibition, the Minister joined the inauguration as Guest of Honour, interacted with the Dutch Companies and their Indian Partners at the expo.

At Mantralaya, he held a joint meeting with the Ministers of Marketing and Protocol and Minister of State for Agriculture, discussing synergies across the agricultural value chain.

The programme continued with the India - Netherlands Seed Sector Business Roundtable, bringing together stakeholders to explore opportunities for collaboration, innovation and investment in the seed sector.

The day concluded with a reception at the Residence of the Consul General of the Netherlands, bringing together partners from across the agricultural and business communities.

[NL Embassy for India, Nepal and Bhutan🇮🇳🇳🇵🇧🇹 @NLinIndia]

Minister Silvio Erkens met Hon'ble Minister Shri (Prof.) S. P. Singh Baghel from Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying and had fruitful interaction on the closer cooperation in the livestock sector and how to expand knowledge and technology exchange in areas such as animal feed and nutrition and vocational training for mid‑sized farmers, to support better animal health and productivity.

The key outcome of the meeting was to set up an Indo‑Dutch Centre of Excellence on Dairy Training at CEAH, Bengaluru and to strengthen skills and innovation in dairy. Veterinary Health Certificate (VHC) for the export of live horses from the Netherlands to India was exchanged during the meeting.

Minister Shri (Prof.) S. P. Singh Baghel highlighted the progress India has made in addressing the antimicrobial resistance (AMR) challenge in the livestock sector.

🇳🇱 🇮🇳 advancing sustainable livestock and dairy together.

[NL Embassy for India, Nepal and Bhutan🇮🇳🇳🇵🇧🇹 @NLinIndia]

Our Minister Silvio Erkens started his visit to India today and met with the Hon’ble Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan , Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare for a bilateral discussion on India–Netherlands cooperation in agriculture. Minister Erkens was accompanied by the Director General Mr Marten van den Berg, Ambassador Marisa Gerards, Agriculture Counsellor Marion van Schaik and senior team members.

The two Ministers spoke about the long partnership between both countries and the need for more innovation to make farming resilient and future‑ready. Minister Erkens shared his Ministry’s Agrifood Innovation Agenda and plans for an Innovation Summit in the Netherlands in May 2027. Both ministers agreed to discuss the innovation agenda further at the 9th Indo‑Dutch Joint Agriculture Working Group meeting.

Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan also underlined the impact of the Indo‑Dutch Centers of Excellence, which have trained 27,000 farmers and supplied 14 million planting materials so far.

🇮🇳 🇳🇱 strengthening agricultural innovation together.

[NL Embassy for India, Nepal and Bhutan🇮🇳🇳🇵🇧🇹 @NLinIndia]

We look forward to welcome our Minister Silvio Erkens from the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Food Security and Nature visiting India- New Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru from 27 September to 2 October.

Press Release: https://t.co/FWbjsb891H

Minister Silvio Erkens is accompanied by a trade delegation of 18 Dutch companies, knowledge institutions and public organisations with expertise in areas including protected horticulture, water management, greenhouse technology, seeds, training and sustainable production methods. Meet the Dutch organisation at the Agricon HortiConnect Expo and Dutch pavilion in Bengaluru. Click here for more information: https://t.co/wh2c20jxqd