THE NETHERLANDS: NATURAL PARTNER OF INDIA & KERALA…!

(As published in the UNIQUE TIMES - A Premium Business Lifestyle Magazine)

The Dutch landed at the Malabar Coast for spice trade 106 years after the advent of Vasco de Gama. It had been months since they were hankering after to see the sandy seashores and the beings stomping around there and the sunlight filtering in through the green trees. Spreading the printed fabrics before them the navigators racked their brains. They took a firm pledge to stick on their resolution - either terrestrial exit or triumph. From the start of their voyage from the Netherlands in December 1603, the group of Dutch navigators have confronted many an impediment. How many times have they fought off sea-creatures and sea-rats? The fleet itself spun around many a time in heavy storms in the turbulent waters.

Their escape from the hostile fleets of Spain and the Portuguese was miraculous. It is Malabar (Kerala) lying in the southern most India that triggers in them the enthusiasm to advance ahead enduring all the obstacles. It is the land of spices where pepper, corns, cinnamon, cloves, mace, nutmegs and all grow ripe in profusion. The main aim and intention of the voyage is to land there as fast as possible and reach agreements for the trade in spices with native rulers.

In 1581, Holland declared its independence from Spain and started the attempts to establish colonies. The Republic of United Netherlands granted freedom to the Dutch people to find out colonies. They became the most enterprising people in Europe prepared to live on the ocean with a piece of bread, salted meat and even salt water.

It was Captain Houtman who formed the United Dutch East India Company in 1595 to trade with India and later other trade companies came into being and amalgamating all of them on March 1602, the United Dutch East India Company was brought into being.

The Dutch had many forts and trading centres besides vast lands at Kochi. In 1667, the Kochi Fort was the major landmark were one would find concentration of the Dutch. Sooner, the warehouses of Kollam, Kayamkulam, Kodungallor, Kannur, Chettuva came under their control. As per the official records, trade centres existed in 20 places, including Malabar.

Even today 20% of India’s export to Europe enters through Dutch - The Netherlands. “So, for India, Netherlands is an entry (point) to Europe”.

Collaborate for a Better tomorrow 

The contributions of Dutch to Kerala had long term impacts. Hortus Indicus Malabaricus is the greatest ever contribution of the Dutch to the world of plants. Hortus Malabaricus literally means the 'wealth of flora in Malabar'. Published in 12 volumes, between 1678 and 1703 from Amsterdam, this book is considered as the first book in which Malayalam alphabets were printed.

The Portuguese ruled Kochi for more than a century. Though the Dutch ruled for a short span, the British who came later. The Dutch had more tolerance towards other religions than the Portuguese.

The fast growing Indian diaspora in the Netherlands is also making an impact with their many cultural contributions. In the year 2017, the two countries were celebrated 70 years of the establishment of Indo-Dutch diplomatic relations.

After the bilateral talks between Prime Minister Modi and his Dutch counterpart Mark Rutte, the two countries signed three MoUs, in the fields of social security, water cooperation and cultural cooperation, in the month June 2017. On the occasion, Prime Minister Narendra Modi described The Netherlands as India’s “natural partner” in its economic development. He also emphasised that the bilateral ties with the country’s major trading partner have been growing rapidly.

Netherlands is the 5th largest investment partner globally and in the last three years it has emerged as the third largest source of FDI for India. Two countries are keep on moving towards stronger ties, as the relations between India and the Netherlands are very old and have had cultural relations for over 400 years.

Now the process of strengthening the bilateral relations initiatives of India are leading by Mr. Venu Rajamani, India’s Ambassador to The Netherlands. According to him, the reason to describe the Netherlands as India’s “natural partner” is because the strength of the Netherlands matches the needs of India. The Netherlands is a world leader in areas like water management, recycling of water, agriculture, food processing, urban planning, digitization etc.

These are all areas where India has launched major national programmes and there is a great need for India to rapidly grow as well as deal with many challenges. The natural partnership reflects the fact that both countries are complementary to each other. If the companies of the Netherlands can invest capital, technology and expertise in India in these fields, there will be win-win solutions for both countries whereby India finds solutions for the problems that our people face while Dutch companies will benefit by offering their services at a scale not possible in the Netherlands which has a population only of 17 million.

He also emphasised that Kerala is confronted with problems like preventing coastal erosion, dealing with drought, cleaning of canals, management of waste water etc. Dutch experience and solutions would be relevant to Kerala in all these areas.

Kerala is a state rich in spices, rubber and various other cash crops. Dutch expertise in the field of food processing as well as experience in increasing agricultural productivity through the use of greenhouses can provide a major boost to Kerala farmers. Urban planning and traffic management is an area of strength in the Netherlands which is of direct benefit to Kerala where the number of transport vehicles coming on the roads is increasing every day. We also need to create multi-model systems of transport which is common in developed countries.

IT is an area of strength both for the Netherlands and Kerala. There are Dutch companies who already operate in the Techno Park in Thiruvananthapuram. The State government has established contacts with companies and institutions in the Netherlands for collaboration on Start-ups, Incubators and Accelerators. Dutch strengths in digitization as well as their connections with Europe and rest of the world can be of great benefit to Kerala. Traditionally, Kerala has been an exporter of spices. It is necessary to move up the value chain into spice extracts and oleo resins. A company like Synthite in Kerala is already doing it very effectively. It has opened an office in the Netherlands next door to Wageningen University which is the number one Agriculture University in the world. More Kerala companies should look at opportunities to establish bases in Netherlands, use expertise available here and target world markets.

No Country Does Water Management Better Than the Netherlands

At the end of the last Ice Age, around 10,000 years ago, the North Sea was a large lowland plain. As temperature increased the sea level rose and after a few thousand years, the North Sea was on the doorstep of what we now call the Netherlands. The Netherlands is unusual in that much of its land has been reclaimed from the sea and is below sea level, protected by floodbank /dikes is an elongated naturally occurring ridge or artificially constructed fill or wall, which regulates water levels. The Water Management expertise of Dutch community starts from early Middle Ages, the western part of the Netherlands was a boggy peatland. For people to work and live on that land, it had to be drained. In those days, the villagers did that themselves by digging a ditch, building a dam or constructing a dike. From the 11th century onwards, this gradually changed. The people who owned the land were often no longer villagers but large landowners who lived in cities, castles or estates. Moreover, there was a growing insight that the construction of dikes and water drainage were matters that went beyond the realm of a village.

In the 13th century, people with common interests in safe water management formed co-operatives, resulting in the first water boards. Their co-operation not only involved working together, it also implied participation in governance, which makes the water boards the oldest form of democratic government in the Netherlands. The water board Hoogheemraadschap van Rijnland, established in 1232, is the oldest water authority that is still in function and The Netherlands became the best protected delta in the world.

Even then the county still working on how to keep the land safe from high water, now and in the future, how to ensure a sufficient supply of fresh water at right place on right time, and how can ensure that the Netherlands remains an attractive country in which to live, work and invest through Delta Programme. These perennial issues in the land since centuries led to innovations in a variety of areas and consistently lead the world the way when it comes to water management. 

Universities were established to explore the potential of Nature and improve the quality of Life. Wageningen University & Research, is one of the examples for translating the results and scientific breakthroughs into practice and education, quickly.

We have a lot to learn and implement from their expertise in high water issues at Kuttanad and sufficient supply of fresh water at right place on right time every-where in the Country.

Agro Processing

The Netherlands produces high-quality, sustainable food and has developed innovative agricultural and horticultural solutions that contribute to a healthier diet, a more secure food chain, and a robust floriculture market. The Netherlands is one of the smallest countries in the European Union, but big in the agrifood and horticulture sectors. More than half of the Netherlands surface area of almost 9.9 million acres is used for farming.

The Netherlands is also one of the world’s leading countries in food processing machinery. This is the logical result of its position as the world’s second exporter of agricultural products, including processed food. The Netherlands cover a high percentage of the total machinery production worldwide in all sectors of the industry: meat, fish, vegetables, potatoes, fruit, dairy, liquid products, bakery, animal feed and packaging (not only for the food sector). Some specific examples: Dutch industry produces 80% of the world’s capacity of poultry processing machinery, and a substantial part of cheese production machinery and potato processing machinery. Also in other markets, such as bakery, red meat and cacao processing the Netherlands has systems suppliers that are leaders in their markets.

The Dutch greenhouse industry has an astonishing logistical network, able of delivering vegetables to the New York streets on the same day they were harvested in the Netherlands. Dutch growing, monitoring and processing techniques are now popular export products on their own. Total turnover of the Dutch food processing and packaging machinery industry is approximately 2.5 billion Euros (US$ 3.23 billion). These statistics and efforts will give us a boost for the new momentum gained in the field Agro Processing Industry in Kerala.

Innovation and Cooperation

The Netherlands developed innovations that make food easy to cook while lowering the amount of sugar, sodium and fat, helping to combat diabetes and obesity. The Dutch also know how to give food superior texture and flavor so nutritional foods are more attractive to eat. Innovation and research are key in Dutch agriculture and horticulture. Universities and businesses are constantly looking for ways to make our ‘foodprint’ leaner and greener. The Netherlands is an expert in offering solutions for sustainable livestock practices and developed smart methods with animal welfare in mind. The agricultural sector, the food processing sector and the suppliers of food equipment and systems in The Netherlands have traditionally cooperated intensively and exchanged much information. They are supported by a strong knowledge infrastructure and the top knowledge institutes.

The companies, affiliated to GMV (GMV is the sector association of manufacturers of machines for food processing and packaging in The Netherlands. As the voice of the Dutch manufacturers of food systems, GMV serves as a useful tool in the promotion of companies or individual members in the sector), are highly qualified with a long experience and tradition in the production of food systems and related sectors. They are all specialised in one or more sectors of the food process industry. They construct a broad range of various machines, systems and installations for food processing and packaging and have specialised expertise and engineering. An important part (70%) of the production and expertise is destined for export. The products and services of GMV members find their way all over the world. The manufacturers are used to work in accordance with the wide range of international regulations and products requirements. In the domain of quality, efficiency and reliability, they belong to the best in the world!

The unique and innovative vast knowledge and expertise of the Netherlands in the field of agro processing should be utilized for India’s journey to become one of the powerful nations in the world.   

Urban Planning

Faced with the challenges of flooding and managing a lot of activity in a small country, the Netherlands has developed the expertise to solve many of the big challenges that communities around the world face today, including climate change, rising water, population growth, urbanization and transportation issues. The Netherlands is moving ever closer to an economic system that focuses on the re-usability of products and raw materials, minimizing wasted energy and resources. The Dutch exchange their ideas on the “circular economy” around the world.

As one of the most densely populated countries in the world, the Netherlands had to find ways to use every bit of the land- and cityscape. Thanks to clever multi-functional architectural designs, the use of advanced technology, green business practices, and smart transportation, Dutch cities are future-proof and resilient.

Counting more bicycles than people, the Netherlands takes full advantage of this healthy, low-cost, and green method of transportation. The Dutch are experts on how to safely integrate bicycles in city infrastructure, and are proud of their modern bicycle transportation networks. Dutch Cycling Embassy play vital role in designing Morden Mobility not only in The Netherlands. This intermediary organization is working on a mission - Cycling for Everyone. Dutch Cycling Embassy have been sharing their expertise and technology as the world’s number one cycling country to facilitate cycling worldwide as the most modern, efficient and sustainable method of transport. The growing interest in Dutch practices in urban transport is mainly due to a transition of the transport sector towards sustainability and the rediscovery of the bicycle as a means of transport. Dutch Cycling Embassy believes that Cycling not only contributes significantly to urban mobility, road safety and emission reductions, but has also positive impacts on the economy, social inclusion and health.

The Netherlands provides the widest range of cycling know-how, products and infrastructure. With over 40 years of experience in bicycle policy and practical bicycle solutions, the Netherlands are a unique international testing ground. It is Dutch Cycling Embassy’s mission to share this experiences. Only thing we need to do is ‘adopt’.

Dutch experts also found ways to make roads more sustainable and interactive by creating road signs that adapt to traffic and weather conditions. Dutch solar techniques can even transform roads in energy generators that can be used for traffic lights or charging electric cars. The Dutch constantly look for technology-driven solutions that can improve citizens' quality of life and that address urban challenges in the field of energy, security, waste management, and transportation.

As urban populations grow, the need to produce food locally will grow. Given that nearly 25 square miles of sustainable, energy-efficient greenhouses cover the Netherlands landscape, the Dutch expertise in urban farming will prove crucial in feeding the population.

The Dutch are experts in green building, which has led to the widespread presence of energy-neutral houses, healthier work and living spaces, and sustainable technologies in the Netherlands. The Dutch government has mandated that from 2020 forward, all new construction in the Netherlands will be climate-neutral.

A secure community is resilient and able to adapt to environmental changes brought on through climate change. The Dutch approach to building resilient communities involves building a network of dikes and levees, and designing city- and landscapes that can accommodate inclement weather.

The Netherlands is working hard on the future when it comes to transportation. The country is a testing ground for self-driving cars and invests heavily in electric vehicles, moving the Netherlands further away from dependency on fossil fuels.

Information Technology

The Dutch are leaders in FinTech solutions, helping to make billions of financial transactions easier, faster and safer. Perhaps the most impressive sector in The Netherlands’ startup ecosystem is FinTech, which is truly flourishing and making waves worldwide. For example, one of the Netherlands’ very first unicorns – a startup company valued at over one-billion dollars – was Amsterdam based Adyen, who now provide payment solutions for Netflix, Airbnb, Uber and Spotify. Other cutting-edge FinTech startups based in the city include Bunq and Lendex, and startup support initiatives such as Holland FinTech ensure that it’s easy for small companies with big ideas to break into the scene.

Amsterdam, the Dutch capital, has always been a hub for tech – global and International alike, home to over 578 international ICT companies (170 of which chose Amsterdam for their headquarters.) And it’s easy to see why: the city boasts Europe’s fastest broadband speeds, it’s ranked fourth globally in app invention and development.

In addition, the city is home to the world’s latest data-transport hub; not to mention, world-leading data-centre experts Equinix just opened the massive new AM4 data centre at the Amsterdam Science Park campus, solidifying the city’s position as the world’s largest internet hub. The high calibre of tech companies in the city speaks for itself, and many Silicon Valley companies themselves have set up shop in the city, including Google, Uber, Salesforce, DoubleDutch and Cisco. Naturally, there’s a whole host of world-class home-grown companies, too: TomTom, Booking.com, WeTransfer and The Next Web, just to name a few. 

Just like Silicon Valley, the Dutch capital is a magnet for tech talent, boasting a talent pool of over 250,000. For instance, the UvA, VU, the Centrum voor Wiskunde & Informatica (Centre for Mathematics and Computer Science, CWI) and the Netherlands eScience Center (NLeSC) recently joined forces at the park to collaborate in the fields of data analytics, visualisation and image recognition, machine learning, deep learning and artificial intelligence, with some exciting developments already well-underway. Also, nanotechnology research at the park’s Advanced Research Centre for Nanolithography (ARCNL) is set to change the world as we know it, and the complex’s addition of a Startup Village – packed with high-tech and science-based startups – guarantees even more innovation in the years to come.

Tourism

On the steady increase in the number of tourists from the Netherlands to India with approximately 21000 electronic visa issued in 2017. For Kerala Tourism, the Netherlands is the 11th biggest originating market. The Dutch are big-time travellers and their urge to travel to be translated into holiday bookings.

Mr. Venu Rajamony is right there to extend all his support for promoting India and Kerala in Netherlands. According to him there is need to boost tourism from the Netherlands to not just Kerala but all of India. There is significant potential to attract more tourists to Kerala by publicizing its natural beauty and vibrant culture and our traditional system of medicines like Ayurveda. This is also scope for Medical tourism because Kerala has a number of good hospitals and excellent doctors.

The Embassy of India has taken a number of initiatives to promote tourism. The Embassy also plans to host an Ayurveda Conference this September at Leiden University.

The Embassy along with India Tourism participated in Vakantiebeurs (Holiday Fair), the largest tourism event in the Netherlands, held on January 9, 2018. The Mayor of Utrecht Mr Jan van Zanen and Mr. Venu Rajamony inaugurated the ‘Incredible India’ and Kerala Tourism stalls. As part of Mission’s initiative, visitors were able to view India’s major tourist attractions in Virtual Reality. A number of tour operators from India, including Kerala participated in the event.

On the occasion of King’s Day, the largest public holiday in the Netherlands, the Embassy in collaboration with India Tourism and Jet Airways, launched a novel initiative to promote tourism called ‘Bollywood on a Boat’. A boat was decked with banners promoting tourism and sailed through the main canals of Amsterdam with dancers showcasing folk and Bollywood dances.

Venu Rajamony :

Making Countries Connected for a Better place to live...  

Mr. Venu Rajamony, India’s Ambassador to The Netherlands, a career diplomat with over three decades of experience and scholar of international relations, former Press Secretary to the President of India, H.E. Mr. Pranab Mukherjee. He began his career as a journalist, earning a reputation for rigorous investigation and comprehensive reportage at India’s leading national daily Indian Express. He was inducted into the prestigious Indian Foreign Service in 1986 as the topper of his batch.

During his student days, Venu Rajamony was elected Chairman, Students Union of Maharaja’s College, Eranakulam and Vice President, Students Union of the Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi.

Venu Rajamony’s tenure as Consul General of India in Dubai from 2007 to 2010 marked a high point in relations between India and the UAE. Extensive efforts were made to advance the welfare of the over two million strong Indian community, promote trade and investment, reach out to UAE nationals and enhance India’s image and soft power.

Fluent in Chinese, he authored a much-acclaimed monograph titled ‘The India-China-US Triangle: A Soft Balance of Power in the Making’ and ‘India and the UAE: In Celebration of a Legendary Friendship’. 

He holds degrees in Law from the Mahatma Gandhi University, Kerala; a Masters in International Studies from Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi. He was selected the Best Cadet from Kerala State in the National Cadet Corps and participated in the annual Republic Day Camp of 1978 in Delhi as also a six-month India-Canada Youth Exchange Programme in 1979-80.

Foster the ties...!

India and The Netherlands can be partnered with on water and on climate adaptation issues. The two countries also can work together specifically in the field of economic sustainability, including on green greenhouses, offshore and urban wind energy, green constructions and cycling policy and more...

We have our own person right there at The Netherlands to co-create legendary relationships.

Let’s Foster the Ties..!