Yesterday, 135 leaders, CEOs and partners gathered in Amstelveen for the NICCT New Year’s Reception and CEO Round Table, our first flagship event of 2026. A full house, strong engagement and conversations that continued until just before 21:00 reflected the momentum we are carrying into the year ahead.

The evening was opened with an exceptionally warm welcome by Marc Broskij at KPMG, setting the tone for an open and substantive exchange.
During the plenary programme, we heard thoughtful contributions from Tjapko Poppens, Mayor of Amstelveen, who spoke warmly about the city’s international character and its strong Indian community, and from Gince Kuruvilla Mattam, Deputy Chief of Mission of the Embassy of India, on the evolving Indo-Dutch relationship.

Ahead of the reception, around 25 CEOs participated in an in-depth CEO Round Table on India vs. EU & Global Policy. Discussions covered geopolitics and tax implications with Conrad Turley, followed by a strong and practical sustainability session led by Marco Frikkee, together with Mark B. Denys of Tata Steel, focusing on how sustainability can (and should!) be embedded into daily business decisions.

The plenary programme also featured a passionate keynote by gopi Byluppala, who illustrated how culinary tourism can drive inclusive and sustainable growth, connecting farmers, local entrepreneurs and global markets. The evening concluded with closing reflections by Sudip Lahiri, PhD.

With the Netherlands ranking as India’s fourth largest cumulative foreign investor and one of its top global export destinations, and with a potential EU–India Free Trade Agreement on the horizon, the outlook for the corridor is strong!

And to my fellow NICCT Board members – and Patricia Christina de Bordes – without you, this work would not be possible. Thank you for the ongoing trust in our shared leadership.

I look forward to our upcoming events with our members this year, and to the many opportunities ahead in the Netherlands–India corridor!