On Monday, Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal stood before Dutch and Indian delegates at the India‑Netherlands Business Forum in The Hague and demanded that European companies slash the paperwork that now clouds cross‑border trade. He argued that the current regulatory climate stifles growth, citing feedback from businesses that urged him to speak louder on the issue.
Goyal added that the EU’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism could dent European manufacturing, a claim that Dutch Foreign Trade Minister Sjoerd Sjoerdsma rebuffed by stressing the need to protect consumers and uphold climate commitments. Sjoerdsma said the Commission is already rolling out a deregulation agenda, but some rules remain essential.
He pitched India as a mega‑market, highlighting its expanding infrastructure, youthful labor force and push toward clean energy. Goyal said the country’s rising power capacity would unlock opportunities for data centres and other energy‑intensive sectors.
The minister projected that India could attract roughly ₹1.8 lakh crore ($200 billion) in new investment over the next decade, especially in the green‑tech and data‑centre segments.
The forum closed with a call for a joint working group to streamline customs procedures and align CBAM with market realities, while Goyal promised to keep the dialogue open at the next Indo‑European trade summit.