A high-level Indian delegation led by K V L Kantha Rao, Secretary at the Ministry of Jal Shakti, visited the Netherlands from 14 to 17 July 2026 to advance bilateral cooperation in water management and hold technical consultations on the Kalpasar Project in Gujarat. The visit signals a concrete follow-through on the Indo-Dutch water partnership that Prime Minister Narendra Modi publicly championed during his own visit to the Netherlands earlier this year.

Key Engagements in the Netherlands

The delegation held discussions with Jaap Slootmaker, Director General at the Dutch Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management, as well as at the RVO (Netherlands Enterprise Agency), TU Delft, and Deltares — three of the country's foremost institutions for water technology and research. The team also conducted field visits, including a tour of the Afsluitdijk project, a landmark Dutch engineering achievement that has long served as a global reference for large-scale water management.

What the Kalpasar Project Involves

The Kalpasar Project aims to create a freshwater reservoir and dam near the Gulf of Khambhat in Gujarat. According to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), Dutch expertise in flood control, reservoir engineering, and sustainable water infrastructure is directly relevant to the project's design and execution. The Netherlands, which has reclaimed significant land from the sea over centuries, is widely regarded as a global leader in water management technology.

Modi's Visit Sets the Stage

In May 2026, Prime Minister Modi visited the Afsluitdijk Dam alongside his Netherlands counterpart Rob Jetten and described the country's approach to water management as 'pioneering work.' Modi noted that the Netherlands had done 'exceptional work' in water resources and that 'there is a lot the entire global community can learn from them.' He also said India was working to bring modern Dutch technology to bear on irrigation, flood control, and expanding its inland waterway network.

Broader Indo-Dutch Collaboration

According to the Indian Embassy in the Netherlands, which shared details of the delegation's visit on X, the engagements were described as 'fruitful.' The MEA has underscored that the partnership extends beyond Kalpasar to encompass climate resilience, water technology, and sustainable infrastructure — areas of growing urgency for India given recurring floods and water scarcity across different regions. This is the latest in a series of technical exchanges between the two countries on water governance, reinforcing a relationship that has moved from diplomatic goodwill to project-level collaboration.

What Comes Next

With technical consultations now completed, attention will turn to whether the Netherlands-backed frameworks and technologies can be formally integrated into the Kalpasar Project's planning phase. Industry observers note that the involvement of institutions like TU Delft and Deltares — both globally respected in hydraulic engineering — lends credibility to the project's ambitions. The pace of follow-up agreements and knowledge-transfer arrangements will be closely watched.