changeadminIndia and the Netherlands agreed to enhance environmental cooperation across a range of areas, including energy transition, sustainable mobility, waste management, climate change, and water resources management.
This was part of the Prime Minister of India, Mr Narendra Modi’s state visit to the Netherlands on 16-17 May 2026. Prime Minister Modi met his counterpart, the Prime Minister of the Netherlands, Mr Rob Jetten.
Both Prime Ministers recalled the longstanding trade linkages, deep-rooted people-to-people ties, and robust bilateral relations between the two countries, and expressed their desire to further expand and deepen this multifaceted relationship.
During their meeting in The Hague on 16 May 2026, both leaders agreed to elevate the India-Netherlands bilateral relationship to a Strategic Partnership by implementing focused, time-bound initiatives and joint plans of action.
To this end, India and the Netherlands adopted the Roadmap of India-Netherlands Strategic Partnership for the next 5 years (2026-2030).
The two countries also discussed increasing bilateral trade, market access, and investment through joint ventures, industrial partnerships, and technological collaboration between companies on both sides, with the aim of enhancing supply chain resilience.
Apart from environmental aspects, other areas of mutual cooperation included defence, cybersecurity, semiconductors, technology, health, agriculture, education, culture and people-to-people ties.
Energy Transition and Sustainable Development
Towards energy security, India and the Netherlands decided to set up a Joint Working Group on Renewable Energy and hold regular meetings to share best practices and experiences.
The two sides will promote knowledge of each other’s industrial ecosystems and facilitate industrial partnerships and cooperation in green hydrogen, bioenergy, bio-chemicals, circular feedstocks, renewables, and battery storage.
Collaborate to draft an action plan for joint activities in the field of renewable hydrogen, including a green corridor between India and the Netherlands.
In addition to this, the renewal of the Joint Statement of Intent on Capacity Building for Energy Transition between NITI Aayog and the Netherlands will ensure continued collaboration in the Energy Security and Transition areas.
India and the Netherlands will also explore avenues for robust cooperation on the environment by establishing a Joint Working Group to deepen bilateral relations on climate; share best practices, knowledge and technology on climate adaptation and mitigation.
Work together to strengthen bilateral partnerships on biofuels, the circular economy, and waste-to-energy through initiatives such as the Global Biofuels Alliance, the Integrated Biorefineries Mission, the International Solar Alliance, and the Combitrack on Sustainable Waste Management.
Prime Minister Modi welcomed the Netherlands’ joining of the Global Biofuel Alliance, launched during India’s Presidency of the G20. The two Prime Ministers also reaffirmed their commitment to work on the bio-economy and reflected on the success of the Mission Innovation Program on Biorefineries.
In order to contribute to a safe, secure and sustainable maritime sector, promote innovative green energy solutions in ports, inland waterways and shipping, as well as further develop cooperation in the context of the recently renewed Memorandum of Understanding on Maritime Cooperation and the agreed Letter of Intent on a ‘Green and Digital Sea Corridor’ between India and the Netherlands.
This would also promote India’s green hydrogen exports by integrating domestic production capacities with the European markets.
Within the framework of the Joint Working Group on Maritime Cooperation, both countries will explore a comprehensive ‘Roadmap on a Green and Digital Sea Corridor’ that aims to work towards an environmentally sustainable, digitally integrated, and economically efficient future-ready maritime corridor between India and the Netherlands.
Work together to deliver capacity building, knowledge exchange on Sustainable Urban Development through a Joint Working Group under the Memorandum of Understanding on spatial planning and urban development.
India and the Netherlands will also identify niche areas for cooperation across the themes of solid waste management, the circular economy, active urban mobility, zero-emission transportation, charging infrastructure, and urban sustainability and governance.
This includes technology deployment in pilot and scalable projects, the introduction of innovations, and opportunities for trade and investment promotion, such as through B2B partnerships, to which Dutch companies were invited to join the Resource Efficiency and Circular Economy Industry Coalition (RECEIC).
Acknowledging the ongoing cooperation on ‘waste to value’, the leaders noted the 2025 update to the Dutch National Circular Economy Programme 2023-2030 and the Indian presidency of the World Circular Economy Forum (WCEF) 2026.
In the field of sustainable mobility, cooperation may be deepened in areas such as smart and interoperable charging infrastructure, battery technology and system integration, standardisation and open protocols, heavy and medium-heavy zero-emission vehicles, smart urban mobility systems and multimodal integration, and alternative fuels and active mobility.
Water Management
India and the Netherlands expressed a shared ambition to renew the Strategic Partnership on Water, signed in March 2022 and running until March 2027, and to review its progress through the Ministerial Joint Working Group on Water.
They also agreed to enhance collaboration in integrated water resources management, integrated coastal zone management, urban water management, flood resilience, river basin management and sustainable water quality & availability in the Ganga Basin.
Leverage the Centre of Excellence on Water with the National Mission for Clean Ganga, to support its ongoing work by exchanging knowledge and expertise, building capacity and promoting start-ups.
Support the creation of Urban River Management Plans for the agreed-upon cities in India by promoting and integrating the Urban River Management Planning and ‘Water as Leverage’ approach into their frameworks, and stimulating application through projects, thereby fulfilling the Water Action Agenda joint commitment.
Support the development and enhancement of disaster-resilient urban water infrastructure in India and globally through capacity-building initiatives led by the India-led Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI).
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