'Amazed': Netherlands PM Mark Rutte after making payment through UPI at tea stall on Bengaluru's Church Street

Netherlands Prime Minister Mark Rutte said he was amazed with the UPI (Unified Payments Interface) system’s simplicity and user-friendliness while making a payment for a tea at a cocal cafe on Church Street in the heart of Bengaluru. Breaking his security cordon, Rutte took a stroll on Church Street. 

Later on X, he wrote, "The Netherlands and India have wide-ranging economic ties. Over 350 Dutch companies do business here. India and the Netherlands also share the same enterprising spirit and capacity for innovation. We work together in areas like agriculture and water management, and more opportunities are opening up all the time. This was the focus of my trip to Bangalore, in the south of India. A large delegation of representatives of Dutch businesses and knowledge institutions is here on an economic mission led by @VNONCW
President Ingrid Thijssen. Great to see how the Netherlands and India are working together in many different areas. I discussed this and other topics with Deputy Chief Minister Shivakumar of the state of Karnataka. Another special moment was my meeting with Bangalore’s bicycle mayor Sathya Sankaran (@bicyclemayorblr ) – a job close to my heart. We discussed his sustainable vision for the city, with lots more space for cyclists and public transport. Finally, I had the honour to open the new offices of the Dutch Consulate-General. I’d like to thank the fantastic 
@NLinIndia  team for all their hard work in helping to make my visit to India a success!." 

Keen to strengthen ties with Netherlands: Shivakumar

Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivkumar Monday said Karnataka holds a very strong relationship with the Netherlands and the state government is keen to strengthen its ties with the Dutch nation. According to an official statement, addressing a delegation from Netherlands at Vidhanasoudha, Shivakumar said Dutch businesses are among the forerunners of foreign investors in Karnataka.

“Karnataka is home to 9 per cent of Dutch investments in India. We are home to 25 plus Dutch companies. Karnataka is also home to Global in-house Centres of Shell and Philips too. There are more than 200 Dutch companies operating in the state with investment worth over USD 1 billion,” it said.

The Deputy CM noted that Karnataka is India’s leading investment destination, with multiple accolades to itself. The state has consistently ranked first in attracting investments since 2016 and leads the nation in coffee production.

“We are very keen to further strengthen this partnership by leveraging the existing synergies with Karnataka and Netherlands. We share many similarities across major industries like food processing, Biotech and Pharma, Innovation and R&D to name a few,” he added.

Karnataka dominates electronics design in India, with the state’s ESDM (Karnataka Electronics System Design & Manufacturing Policy) offering the highest incentives in the country, the statement said.

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