Commerce Secretary Sunil Barthwal’s recent visit to the Netherlands focused on strengthening trade and investment ties between the two countries.
During his trip to The Hague, Barthwal held talks to advance collaboration through the Joint Trade and Investment Committee (JTIC), aiming to further deepen economic cooperation.
The discussions come at a time when India’s exports to the Netherlands continue to show healthy growth, despite uncertainties in the global economy.
In the financial year 2024–25, India’s exports to the Netherlands rose by 1.75 per cent, reaching USD 22.76 billion compared to USD 22.36 billion in the previous year. Imports from the Netherlands during this period stood at over USD 5 billion.
The Department of Commerce shared on X (formerly Twitter) that Barthwal, along with Ambassador K Tuhin, met Michiel Sweers, Director-General of Foreign Economic Relations in the Netherlands.
The meeting highlighted the mutual desire to strengthen bilateral trade and investment ties through the JTIC platform and to promote broader economic cooperation.
In addition, Joint Secretary Saket Kumar from the Commerce Ministry engaged with senior officials in The Hague. Their discussions centred on expanding cooperation in areas such as startups, innovation, technology exchange, and space collaboration.
Both sides expressed interest in scaling up partnerships in the startup ecosystem, fostering entrepreneurship, and supporting tech-driven initiatives.
Following his engagements in the Netherlands, Barthwal also visited Zagreb, Croatia. There, he met Zdenko Lucić, State Secretary for Foreign Trade and Development at the Croatian Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs.
Their meeting aimed to further enhance bilateral trade relations and identify new investment opportunities.
Between April and January in 2024–25, India’s exports to Croatia reached USD 270 million, while imports stood at USD 69.49 million. Both sides agreed to explore ways to deepen trade links and encourage more robust economic collaboration.
