DPIIT, Invest India and the Embassy of the Netherlands Formalize India-Netherlands Fast-Track Mechanism (FTM)

· FTM to strengthen bilateral efforts to increase mutual investment activities and support and develop business cooperation between companies in both the countries

· In 2021-2022, bilateral trade between the two countries amounted to USD 17 billion. India's exports to The Netherlands consists mainly of mineral fuels and mineral-based products, organic chemicals, electrical machinery and equipment, aluminium, iron and steel and pharmaceutical products

The Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) and The Embassy of The Kingdom of The Netherlands officially signed the Joint Statement to formalize the bilateral Fast-Track Mechanism (FTM) between India and The Netherlands. Invest India, the national investment promotion and facilitation agency, is the executing body of the bilateral FTM. The Ambassador of The Netherlands to India, H.E. Mr. Marten van den Berg, and Secretary, DPIIT, Anurag Jain, formally signed and exchanged the Joint Statement on 27th September 2022.

The bilateral FTM between India and The Netherlands aims to serve as a platform for faster resolution of investment cases of Dutch companies operating in India. The mechanism functions in close collaboration between DPIIT, respective ministries and departments, Invest India and the Embassy of The Netherlands. The mechanism will strengthen and assist bilateral efforts to increase mutual investment activities, as well as support and develop business cooperation between companies in both the countries.

“It is worthy of noting the strong economic relation between India and the Netherlands. Some Dutch companies have been operating for over 100 years in India, which illustrates this close bilateral relationship. We are keen to collaborate more with our Indian partners to further stimulate Dutch companies in India, particularly in key areas of economics, science and innovation,” highlights H.E. Mr. Marten van den Berg, Ambassador of The Netherlands to India.

“I would like to highlight the opportune period during which we are signing this FTM – ‘Amrit Kal’, the celebration of 75 years of independence as well as our bilateral diplomatic relationship. India is one of the few countries which has a very open FDI policy, and we have worked to resolve several issues of Dutch companies even before the FTM process began. In this context, we are formalizing a relationship which was present since long before,” comments Anurag Jain, Secretary, DPIIT.

“The India-Netherlands economic link has been a cornerstone in our bilateral relations. On this important occasion, it is crucial to highlight our strong political, economic and commercial relations, along with several sectoral cooperations. It is our endeavor that all issues of Dutch companies get resolved even before we reach the stage of the FTM, and are continuously working in this direction,” conveys Rajendra Ratnoo, Joint Secretary, DPIIT.

“Today is a very important day for our bilateral relationship. The signing ceremony is a huge step towards promoting bilateral investments between both the partnering countries. There are significant areas of mutual interest, and we look forward to working together to make the India-Netherlands investment corridor more robust,” adds Mr. Deepak Bagla, MD & CEO, Invest India.

Diplomatic relations between India and The Netherlands were formally established in 1947. Since then, the two countries have developed strong political, economic & commercial relations, and various sectoral co- operations.

According to official Indian statistics, The Netherlands is the 4th largest foreign direct investor in India. Between April 2000 and June 2022, the cumulative flow of foreign direct investment from The Netherlands to India reached some USD 42.3 billion.

In 2021-2022, bilateral trade between the two countries amounted to USD 17 billion. India's exports to The Netherlands consists mainly of mineral fuels and mineral-based products, organic chemicals, electrical machinery and equipment, aluminium, iron and steel and pharmaceutical products.