FICCI urges Netherlands to boost investment in Indian manufacturing, tech

The Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) has made a strong pitch for greater investment from the Netherlands in India's manufacturing and technology sectors, signalling significant untapped potential in bilateral economic cooperation.

FICC Secretary General Anant Swarup said Minister of Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal's ongoing visit to the Netherlands presents a timely opportunity to convert preliminary investment discussions into concrete projects. "The visit can facilitate meaningful engagement between businesses and government agencies to resolve critical issues around site selection, technological requirements, infrastructure availability, supplier networks and regulatory clearances," Swarup said.

The industry body has identified four priority areas for deepening ties: manufacturing partnerships, technology collaborations, supply chain integration, and project implementation tracking. FICCI is particularly keen on developing a robust pipeline of joint ventures and capacity-expansion proposals in engineering, equipment manufacturing, food processing and other technology-intensive sectors where Indian and Dutch enterprises can create complementary partnerships.

The push reflects India's broader strategy to diversify its foreign direct investment sources and strengthen ties with developed economies in Europe. The Netherlands, a key European economy with significant expertise in engineering, food processing and supply chain management, represents a strategic investment partner for India's growth ambitions. Supplier development programmes and technology transfer agreements are expected to form the backbone of the proposed collaborations.