Prime Minister Narendra Modi described the present period as a "decade of disasters" for the world during a speech in The Hague on Saturday, the second leg of a five-nation tour intended to deepen India’s economic and diplomatic ties.
Addressing members of the Indian community, Mr Modi said India and the Netherlands were working together to create what he called trusted, transparent and future-ready supply chains, in response to mounting global disruption to trade.
He set out a series of long-term ambitions, saying India wanted to host the Olympic Games, become a global manufacturing hub, emerge as a leader in green energy and serve as what he termed the growth engine of the world.
Mr Modi highlighted the country’s startup sector, saying India now had the world’s third-largest startup ecosystem, with close to 125 active unicorns operating in fields including artificial intelligence, defence and space technology.
He also praised the Indian diaspora in the Netherlands, saying their contribution to Dutch society and the economy was regularly acknowledged by the country’s leadership. The tour comes as India seeks new trade and investment partners amid an energy shock driven by the war with Iran.