Indian Community in The Hague Welcomes PM Modi as He Opens European Diplomatic Tour
🗳️ Modi Kicks Off European Tour with Royal Audience in The Hague
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched his European tour in the Netherlands in May 2026, opening the diplomatic visit with a high-profile meeting with Dutch King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima. The choice of the Netherlands as the starting point of the tour carried particular symbolic weight: The Hague is both the seat of the Dutch government and home to one of the largest and most historically rooted South Asian communities in Europe, shaped by centuries of Surinamese-Hindustani and more recent Indian immigration. Modi’s arrival was met with considerable attention from the Dutch government and media, with Euronews covering the meeting with the Dutch royals as the formal diplomatic centrepiece of his Netherlands visit. The bilateral agenda touched on trade, technology partnerships, and strategic cooperation between India and the EU, themes of direct relevance to the large and professionally accomplished Indian diaspora in the Netherlands who have long advocated closer India–Europe ties. For Indian professionals and business owners based in The Hague and the broader Randstad region, the PM’s presence in their host country signalled growing recognition of the Netherlands as a pivotal node in India’s European relationships. The royal meeting served as the formal opening act before Modi turned his attention to the South Asian community itself. [1]
🤝 PM Modi Addresses Indian Diaspora at Community Event in The Hague
Following his meetings with Dutch government officials and royals, Prime Minister Narendra Modi took the stage at a special community programme in The Hague organised for members of the Indian diaspora living across the Netherlands. The event, formally documented on the official PM India government website, brought together Indian nationals, non-resident Indians, and people of Indian origin residing in the Netherlands for a direct address from their nation’s leader. Modi’s speech at such diaspora gatherings typically covers themes of national pride, the contributions of overseas Indians to their host countries, and the government’s ongoing initiatives to strengthen ties with the global Indian community through schemes such as the Pravasi Bharatiya Samman. The gathering in The Hague was particularly meaningful given the city’s layered South Asian heritage: while a significant portion of the Indian community consists of IT professionals, academics, and diplomats, the broader South Asian presence in the Netherlands also encompasses the Surinamese-Hindustani community whose ancestors came from the subcontinent generations ago. For the Indian community in The Hague, an address by the serving Prime Minister at their doorstep represented a rare and cherished moment of direct connection to the homeland, reinforcing a sense of belonging and recognition that diaspora communities across Europe actively seek from New Delhi. [2]
Sources: [1] Euronews.com · [2] PM India