The grandeur of the Taj Mahal, the rhythm of Bollywood, and the serenity of Yoga are often cited as cornerstones of India’s soft power, but they only tell part of the story. Beyond its borders lives a far more intimate source of influence: the millions of Indian diaspora who carry fragments of “home” into new societies, weaving India into everyday streets, schools, workplaces, and parliaments. Across the globe, these communities serve as living bridges, translating cultural affinity into tangible economic, political, and strategic advantages. This is particularly true in the Netherlands, a nation pivotal to European trade and technology, where the Indian diaspora, often overlooked, represents a powerful, yet underexploited, asset in India’s geostrategic ambitions.
The Indian diaspora in the Netherlands is not a monolithic entity. It is a vibrant tapestry woven from two distinct threads: the deeply rooted Hindostanis‑Surinami community and the rapidly growing wave of Indian highly‑skilled professionals and knowledge migrants. Understanding their unique strengths, strategies for engagement, and inherent value is crucial for India to effectively leverage this network for its global rise.
The Strength of Diversity: Two Pillars of Influence
The largest group of Indian‑origin people in the Netherlands is the Hindostani‑Surinami diaspora, a community that today numbers approximately 200,000 people . Their story is one of grit and survival . They were brought from British India to Suriname to fill the labour gap left after the abolition of slavery in 1863 for the sugar plantations in Suriname, coffee, and cocoa. Their journey, marked by resilience and cultural preservation, has resulted in a community deeply integrated into Dutch society while steadfastly maintaining its Indian heritage. They have transformed this struggle into a fortress of stability. Today, sociologists and policymakers frequently cite the Hindustani‑Surinami diaspora as the “best integrated” non‑Western immigrant group in the country.
Cultural Roots and Political Reach: The Integration of the Hindostani‑Surinami Diaspora
Surinami Hindostanis have meticulously preserved Hindu and Islamic traditions, festivals like Diwali and Holi (Phagwa), and the Sarnami Hindostani language. These vibrant cultural practices range from temple rituals and community garba dances to language classes and public celebrations that thrive openly in Dutch cities like The Hague, Rotterdam, and Amsterdam, gradually embedding Indian heritage into the national fabric. This everyday visibility normalises Indian culture among Dutch neighbours, schools, and workplaces, cultivating organic familiarity, mutual respect, and goodwill that soft power strategies often struggle to achieve.
Equally significant is their political integration, with community members serving on municipal councils across multiple cities and even in the Dutch Parliament, such as Tanja Jadnansing, a prominent Hindostani voice. These representatives advocate for multicultural policies, immigrant rights, and trade partnerships that subtly align with India’s interests , while their cultural fluency lends authenticity to Indo‑Dutch dialogues on education, diaspora welfare, and economic ties.
The “New” Indian Diaspora: A Force of Economic and Technological Prowess
In contrast, the “new” Indian diaspora refers to recent migrants directly from modern India, primarily comprising highly‑skilled professionals , entrepreneurs, and students drawn by the Netherlands’ innovation hubs, Knowledge Migrant visa program, and strong economy. This wave, distinct from the twice‑migrated Hindostani‑Surinami community, arrived after the 2000s, often through highly skilled migration schemes, and now numbers over 50,000 . Their strength lies in concentration within high‑demand sectors like IT, finance, and engineering , where they lead R&D, startups, and digital transformation. By excelling here, they project a contemporary image of a tech‑savvy, professional India, attracting FDI, talent pipelines, and policy support. Many staff major Indian multinationals with European HQs in the Netherlands, like Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) or Infosys , directly facilitating bilateral business relations and trade corridors between India and Europe .
Recalibrating the Bond: A Strategy for Power and Partnership
For decades, India’s relationship with its diaspora was largely sentimental, rooted in shared history and cultural pride. However, to compete in a shifting global order, New Delhi must recalibrate this relationship, transforming passive cultural affinity into active strategic advantage.
Empowering Cultural Diplomacy
For the Hindostanis‑Surinami community, supporting and showcasing their cultural preservation efforts reinforces their connection to India. The Gandhi Cultural Centre (TGC) in The Hague , for instance, can be further empowered to host joint events that celebrate both traditional Indian arts and their unique Surinami‑Hindostani evolution. This strategy strengthens cultural pride and promotes India’s soft power through an attractive, localised lens.
Fostering Economic and Professional Networks
The strategy for the “new” diaspora of knowledge workers must be radically different: it is about access and innovation. These professionals are the gatekeepers to Dutch technology and capital. India must move beyond standard consular outreach and actively bankroll and legitimize platforms like the Indian Professionals Network (IPN) Netherlands . The goal should be to position these networks as the “landing pad” for Indian startups entering Europe and the “launchpad” for Dutch venture capital heading to India. By formalising these channels, India effectively reverses the brain gain and could accelerate technology and investment flows back to India, making the Netherlands a strategic hub for India’s European engagements, turning this foothold into the operational cockpit from which India can steer its trade and influence across the continent.
Investing in the Next Generation
A crucial strategy involves engaging the younger generations of contemporary Indian expatriates and Surinami Hindostani. This is where a key Indian policy comes into play: the Scholarship Programme for Diaspora Children (SPDC) . Broadening the outreach and tailoring specific components of the SPDC for second and third‑generation Surinami‑Hindostani youth would not only encourage them to reconnect with their roots through education but also create a long‑term cadre of globally aware, India‑connected young professionals. This strategic investment ensures the enduring value of the diaspora network.
The Geostrategic Imperative: Lessons from Global Diasporas
To understand why India must act, we must first recognize a fundamental truth of modern geopolitics where diasporas are instruments of state. In today’s interconnected world, practically every ambitious nation‑state executes a deliberate strategy to instrumentalise its overseas communities. This goes far beyond cultural festivals; it is hard‑nosed statecraft.
We see this clearly in how other major powers manage their global communities. For instance, the Jewish diaspora stands as the gold standard for political mobilization. Through highly organized networks in the United States, they have successfully institutionalized their influence, shaping foreign policy and ensuring unwavering bipartisan support for Israel. Their success lies not just in numbers, but in their ability to speak with a unified, strategic voice that reverberates in the corridors of power in Washington. Similarly, the Chinese diaspora offers a master class in economic statecraft. Beijing views its vast overseas population not just as emigrants, but as vital cogs in its national rejuvenation. It actively recruits them to facilitate the Belt and Road Initiative , leveraging their local business networks in Southeast Asia and Africa to secure resources and infrastructure deals. Furthermore, China systematically encourages its “sea turtles” (students and professionals abroad) to return with technical expertise, effectively weaponizing brain gain to accelerate its own industrial rise.
Value Proposition of the Dutch Diaspora
In the Netherlands, the diaspora’s value translates directly into political influence and technological partnerships. The community’s strong integration means they can influence trade agreements, facilitate technology transfers in critical sectors like green energy and smart city solutions , acting as a reliable, pro‑India voice within a key EU nation.
However, the most urgent reason for India to double down on the diaspora network lies in hard security. Historically, the Netherlands has maintained robust defense commercial ties with Pakistan, often serving as a significant supplier of naval vessels and military hardware . But by driving the Dutch knowledge economy, the Indian community effectively demonstrates that the real strategic prize lies in New Delhi, not Islamabad. This “soft power” dominance allows India to “out‑scale” the Pakistan relationship. It could shift the Dutch focus from transactional arms sales with Pakistan to a comprehensive strategic partnership with India. This pivot is essential to unlock opportunities for future defense cooperation , particularly in naval shipbuilding and strategic alignment in the Indo‑Pacific . Thus, transforming the relationship from one where the Netherlands supplies a regional rival, Pakistan, to one where the primary focus is building and strengthening a long‑term security alliance with New Delhi.
Strengthening the Network: A Policy for Continuous Engagement
To fully harness the strength of the Indian diaspora in the Netherlands, India needs targeted policies that move beyond episodic interactions. A crucial step would be to strengthen and broaden the reach of the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (PBD) framework . The current biennial PBD gathering, while symbolic, can be transformed into a sustained, strategic partnership by establishing Permanent Regional PBD Forums. These forums, situated in major European hubs like The Hague, should involve local diaspora leaders, Indian diplomatic missions, and relevant Indian ministry representatives. Their mandate would be to facilitate continuous dialogue, identify specific areas for collaboration (e.g., Dutch investment in Indian startups), address diaspora grievances promptly, and coordinate business events year‑round. Such a formalised, ongoing engagement mechanism would transform episodic connection into a strategic alliance, providing a consistent channel for the diaspora to contribute their expertise, capital, and influence, moving them from being mere beneficiaries of policies to becoming active co‑creators of India’s global destiny.
Conclusion
The Indian diaspora in the Netherlands represents a powerful blend of cultural guardians and economic leaders that offers India an unparalleled strategic advantage. By implementing focused engagement strategies, particularly by strengthening connections with future generations through policies like the SPDC and formalising continuous strategic dialogue, India can transform this potent network into an enduring instrument of its geostrategic influence. This approach will effectively cement the nation’s position as a truly global power. Hence, let this be the era where shared heritage transforms into shared power, turning the gentle currents of culture into the unstoppable tide of a rising geopolitical giant.