India, Netherlands discuss chips, critical minerals as Goyal pushes EU pact

Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal held trade and investment talks in the Netherlands on Monday, October 26, 2026, meeting Sjoerd Sjoerdsma, the Dutch Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation, and Heleen Herbert, the Minister of Economic Affairs and Climate. Goyal and Sjoerdsma co-chaired an India-Netherlands Business Forum attended by about 200 business representatives, which focused on what the proposed India-European Union free trade agreement (FTA) could open up. Goyal said the two sides discussed using the FTA to expand trade and build more resilient supply chains, with talks also covering semiconductors and critical minerals. The Netherlands leg ends a six-day visit to Germany and the Netherlands running from October 22 to 27.

The Netherlands matters to India as a trading and logistics gateway into Europe, which is why Goyal's itinerary included the Port of Rotterdam as well as ministerial meetings. Stronger links with Dutch ports and companies can affect how quickly and cheaply Indian goods reach European buyers.

The focus on semiconductors and critical minerals reflects a shift in what trade talks are about. Critical minerals are raw materials such as lithium, cobalt and rare earths that are essential for batteries, electronics and clean-energy equipment, and whose supply is concentrated in a few countries. Semiconductors, or chips, are the brains of modern electronics. Both India and European countries want to reduce dependence on single suppliers for these goods, which is what "resilient supply chains" means in practice: having several reliable sources instead of one. Reports of the visit describe chips and critical minerals as areas where the two countries want to cooperate as India builds its own semiconductor sector.

The visit also comes as India and the EU work to finish their free trade agreement. An FTA lowers tariffs, the taxes charged on imports, and sets common rules on matters such as investment and standards. For Indian exporters of textiles, engineering goods, chemicals and processed food, lower EU tariffs could make their products more competitive. For Indian consumers, it could make some European goods cheaper. Analysts note, however, that the commercial benefits depend on when the agreement actually takes effect, and the immediate outcome of this visit is a wider agenda for cooperation rather than a confirmed package of new projects.

Short-term: The talks set an agenda for business links in chips, minerals and logistics, but no specific investment deals were announced in the reports.

Long-term: If the India-EU FTA takes effect and the chip and minerals cooperation turns into projects, Indian manufacturers could gain better access to European markets and to key inputs, while Dutch companies could expand in India.

Who is affected: Indian exporters and importers, logistics and shipping firms, semiconductor and electronics companies, start-ups in the visiting delegation, and businesses in the Netherlands looking at India.

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