Netherlands minister meets Maneka Gandhi

Netherlands' Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation Minister Lilianne Ploumen Wednesday met Women and Child Development Minister Maneka Gandhi to discuss ways to increase employment opportunities for women in the traditional sectors.

Besides, both the ministers discussed possibilities of cooperation in the sphere of women and child development.

Ploumen, who is leading a trade mission with over 30 companies and knowledge institutions to India, said women can be supported to play greater non-traditional economic roles in the traditional sectors like agriculture and textiles.

She said it is possible to increase opportunities for women by looking at the primary processes in these sectors and identifying areas where they can play a larger role.

In reply, Gandhi said her ministry could conduct a study for identifying non-traditional roles for women within the traditional sectors in India.

The mission marks the minister's second visit to India. The trade mission is focussing on two different sectors - agri-food and life sciences and health.

Ploumen said: "The Indian government intends to double its food production in the time to come. Many Dutch companies are willing to offer assistance in reaching this goal."

Within the realm of healthcare, India can also benefit from Dutch expertise in innovation and research.

The bilateral Indo-Dutch trade figures over 5.8 billion euros per annum.

"India has great and ambitious plans to construct sea ports and smart cities. the Netherlands may collaborate with India in realising these plans," she said.

The Netherlands is now the fifth largest investor in India.

Ploumen will meet Nobel Peace Prize winner Kailash Satyarthi, a child rights activist whose organisation is supported by the Netherlands.

The minister and Satyarthi will together attend the launch of a sanitation project, a collaboration between the Netherlands Technical University Delft and IIT Delhi.