Embassy of India
The Hague

PressRelease

71st Republic Dayof India to be celebrated in the Netherlands on January 26,2020 with a special LED display of the Indian flag on the KPN Building next to the iconic Erasmus Bridge in Rotterdam

The 71st Republic Day of India will be celebrated in a grand manner on 26thJanuary 2020 at the India House-the residence of Ambassador of India to the Netherlands in Wassenaar. As a special gesture towards India, KPN- leading telecom company of the Netherlands will run LED animations displaying Indian national flag and the message ‘Happy Republic Day’ on its façade next to the iconic Erasmus bridge in Rotterdam from 7 pm to 9 pm on January 26.

The celebrations at the India House will begin with hoisting of Indian national flag by the Ambassador at 10.00 a.m. The flag hoisting will be followed by singing of the National Anthem and reading out of President Ram Nath Kovind’s address to the nation. This will be followed by a performance of patriotic songsand refreshments.

Over 600 representatives of the Indian community and friends of India are expected to attend the celebrations. The Netherlands is home to the largest population of overseas Indians on mainland Europe. Since June 2017 when Ambassador Venu Rajamony assumed office, Independence Day (15th August) and Republic Day (26th January) are celebrated as an open house for all members of the Indian Diaspora and friends of India in the Netherlands.

India and the Netherlands have a long history of friendly bilateral relations. The Netherlands is one of the first three countries that established diplomatic relations with independent India in 1947. The year 2019 marked a high point in the bilateral relationship with the first State Visit to India by their Majesties King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima from October 14-18, 2019. The State Visit was followed by a visit by Dr. Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, External Affairs Minister of India to the Netherlands from 9-11 November 2019. Chief Ministers of Kerala and Himachal Pradesh visited the Netherlands in May and June 2019, respectively.

Economic and commercial relations provide a strong underpinning to bilateral relations. During the State Visit to India, the largest ever trade delegation comprising of 250 members from 140 companies and organizations accompanied the Dutch Royals. The Netherlands was the third-largest investor in India in FY 2018-2019 with investments worth US$ 3.87 billion. The cumulative investments from the Netherlands to India in the period April 2000 – September 2019 amounts to about US$ 29.7 billion. The Netherlands is also a major investment destination for Indian companies with total investment (ODI Stock) by Indian companies estimated at over US$ 12 billion, as on March 2018.

The main sectors of cooperation between India and the Netherlands are Agriculture, Ports and Shipping, Water and Waste Management, Science & Technology, Urban Development etc.