Indo-Dutch #StartUpLink Launched To Navigate Indian And Dutch Startup Ecosystems

Aimed at lifting the spirit of innovation and entrepreneurship, Indo-Dutch #StartUpLink initiative has been officially launched to open-up the Indian and Netherlands market for the startups of the two countries that are looking to expand to international markets.

The platform has been developed by Startup India in collaboration with the Netherlands Embassy that provides access to relevant information to networking, pilot opportunities and many more. The Startup India hub under Invest India and Netherlands Enterprise Agency under the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Change would act as a single point of contact and navigators for their respective countries.

“With several Dutch startups looking towards India and vice versa, startups are one of the many vital areas of cooperation between our two countries,” Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte said who is visiting India to further the Indo-Dutch ties.

The move comes in the backdrop after Indian tech companies and startups were invited by NFIA, India (Netherlands Foreign Investment Agency) invited to carry on their R&D related activities in the Netherlands, which already has a readymade and conducive infrastructure.

Inc42 earlier reported that The Netherlands has sought the contribution of Indian startups in the areas of logistics, cleantech and medical science. So far, Singapore, Canada, the US and the Middle East have been the favourite destinations or export markets for Indian startups looking to cater to the global market.

#StartUpLink To Create A Marketplace For Startups

On the #StartUpLink initiative, India’s Commerce and Industries Minister Suresh Prabhu said the the portal will help the Indian startups to expand their market and showcase their potential to wider networks.

“For Dutch startups, India provides a great opportunity for market expansion and it will be interesting to see the kind of solutions and innovations which come through this portal,” the Minister added.

The Dutch Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation, Sigrid Kaag, said the initiative also aims at creating a dynamic marketplace for everything startups require to grow in each other’s countries. He added, “With the initiative, we’re not only assisting Dutch startups to ‘Make In India’ but we’re also enabling Indian startups to find their way in the Netherlands as well. ”

Shell E4 Partners To Cater To Needs Of Dutch Startups

As part of the #StartUpLink initiative, ‘Clean Air India Ring’ was earlier launched to solve the problem of pollution in India through collaborations. The Shell E4 (Energizing and Enabling Energy Entrepreneurs), India’s first energy-focussed startup hub, has been selected as a partner to help meet the needs of the companies entering India with market assessment, business model development, regulatory and legal support, among others.

A delegation of 10-12 Dutch startups are visiting India soon to take part in a series of B2B and B2G meeting, exposure trips along with networking and pilot opportunities. Startup India and its Dutch implementing partner Dutch Basecamps are also gearing up to organise the startup mission from India to Netherlands.

Inc42 earlier quoted consul general Jaap Werner stating that there are currently over 200 companies from the Netherlands which are operational in India, and almost as many Indian companies in the Netherlands.

While India is the fourth largest investor in the Netherlands, the latter stands fifth in India. The country has been one of the biggest investors in Karnataka. Many Dutch companies have large campuses and offices in Bengaluru such as Akzo-Nobel, Philips, TNT, Koeleman, etc. In addition, there are many small and medium-sized Dutch companies that operate out of Bengaluru. The new initiative #StartUpLink launched in collaboration between the two countries at the government level will definitely help boost the startup ecosystem of the two countries.