Piyush Goyal to visit Germany, Netherlands to boost trade and investment ties | Today’s news
New Delhi: Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal will be on a six-day visit to Germany and the Netherlands from October 22 to strengthen bilateral trade and investment ties and expand industrial and technology cooperation.
Goyal will be accompanied by around 100 business executives during the visit, which will focus on exploring new opportunities for cooperation across manufacturing, clean technology, advanced engineering, information technology and other sectors, the ministry said in a statement on Wednesday.
It will be in Germany from October 22 to October 24 and in the Netherlands from October 24 to 27.
In Germany, Goyal will attend the Berlin Global Dialogue, where he will engage with international policymakers and global business leaders to highlight India’s macroeconomic stability, manufacturing capabilities and role in building resilient global supply chains, according to a ministry statement.
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On the sidelines of the event, he will hold a bilateral meeting with the German Federal Minister of Economy and Energy and Advisor for Economic and Financial Policy and the G7/G20 Sherpa at the German Federal Chancellery. The talks will cover bilateral trade and investment, technological and industrial cooperation and market access and investment opportunities arising from the ongoing India-European Union Free Trade Agreement (FTA) negotiations.
Trade in goods between India and the EU will total €118.4 billion in 2025, with India’s imports to the EU reaching €69.5 billion and exports to India €48.9 billion, according to official figures. The scale of the trade underscores the importance of expanding market access and investment opportunities as India and the EU pursue a trade deal.
G2G engagement
The Minister will also lead an intergovernmental meeting in The Hague, where he is expected to meet the Dutch Minister of Economy and Climate and the Minister of Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation. Discussions will explore opportunities to expand trade channels and collaborate on green transition initiatives.
His engagement in the Netherlands will also include discussions with the Royal Commissioner of North Holland and members of the Dutch Parliament’s committees for foreign trade and European affairs.
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An accompanying Indian business delegation will participate in sectoral roundtables with German CEOs and Indian business representatives in Berlin. Discussions will cover the automotive industry, advanced manufacturing, infrastructure and energy; information technology, artificial intelligence and services; agri-food goods, consumer goods and textiles; and healthcare, pharmaceuticals and wellness.
Investment round table
The delegation will also participate in an Indo-German Investment Roundtable with Germany Trade & Invest (GTAI) on investment opportunities and setting up operations in Germany. It will collaborate with German innovation and research institutions and expert groups in industrial transformation, deep technologies, microelectronics, skills development and bilateral trade, investment and resilient supply chains.
As part of the Dutch leg, an Indian trade delegation will visit the Port of Rotterdam on October 25 to examine its logistics and supply chain infrastructure.
On October 26, Goyal will address businesses from India and the Netherlands at the India-Dutch Business Forum in The Hague alongside the Dutch Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation. The forum will be followed by six parallel sector round tables and business-to-business meetings.
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The roundtables will cover the agri-food industry and food processing; cutting edge technology and innovation; sustainability and renewable energy; logistics and supply chain connectivity; manufacturing, pharmaceuticals, textiles and engineering goods; and services and related sectors.
The visit comes as India and the European Union continue talks on a free trade agreement, with the ministry identifying potential market access and investment opportunities arising from the talks as one of the areas for discussion during Goyal’s meeting in Germany.
