Netherlands seeks synergy with India on dual-use tech

NEW DELHI: One of the global leaders in the

semiconductor industry

, which is also looking to ramp up its presence in the Indo-Pacific, the Netherlands wants to integrate its defence industry with India with collaboration in

dual-use technologies

like drones, AI and semiconductors. Dutch defence minister Ruben Brekelmans told TOI in an exclusive interview that the two countries are looking to upgrade their ties to the level of a strategic partnership and it's important to have a strong defence and security pillar to base it on.
Brekelmans said that the Netherlands, one of the principal backers of Kyiv in Europe, seeks robust security guarantees for Ukraine to blunt Russia's "imperial ambitions" and to prevent a return to the 19th century.
"Both have strong maritime sectors and there's more we could do on this. There are also some dual use technologies, for example in drones, AI, semiconductors where there's a lot of innovation in the Netherlands, also in India. It'd be interesting to look for synergies. India very often doesn't just have knowledge but also the scale to produce in large numbers. That's what we need right now. We need to ramp up our defence industries and if there's also capacity from the Indian side, it can be important,'' said the minister, before his meeting with counterpart Rajnath Singh this week.
The Netherlands had imposed restrictions on export of chip equipment in 2023, apparently under pressure from the Biden administration that wanted to curb supplies to China.

Asked about the Indo-Pacific, where the Netherlands was one of the first European countries to have its own policy, Brekelmans said the Dutch intend to have maritime exercise every two years in the region.
"So, we often have one of our frigates visiting multiple countries, India being one of the important ones of course. We also do air exercises to show indeed that we share the same values and principles,'' he said.