Meet Noortje: between the Netherlands and India

From the Netherlands to India

Why move to India in the first place?

“When I went to India in 2023, what stood out to me was how quickly the economy was growing and how many opportunities that offered European companies. Since then, I have been living and working there, helping Dutch companies become more successful in the Indian market.”

That decision also meant India became much more than just a business market. Noortje now lives there full-time and knows its daily life, culture and business environment from the inside.

“When you live in India yourself, you get a much better understanding of how companies work, how people communicate and where the differences with the Netherlands lie. That helps enormously when advising Dutch companies.”

Why India offers so many opportunities

The first opportunity Noortje mentions is perhaps also the most obvious: talent.

“India has an enormous pool of technical talent. A large number of engineers graduate every year, and the calibre of professionals is often higher than Dutch companies initially expect.”

That is relevant to a Dutch labour market where technical professionals are becoming increasingly difficult to find. Companies that want to grow, take on new projects or find specialist expertise are therefore running into capacity constraints more often.

According to Noortje, this creates a clear opportunity for collaboration with India.

“It is not just about numbers. You also find people with up-to-date technical knowledge and experience with the latest software and tools.”

More than just a cost advantage

In the Netherlands, India is still often viewed through the lens of cost. According to Noortje, that is only part of the story.

“Of course, a cost advantage can play a role, but India offers much more than that. You can also achieve high-quality production and work with professionals with whom you can communicate well.”

It is this combination that makes India attractive to various Dutch sectors. Noortje sees opportunities in areas including the maritime sector, high-tech and semiconductors, manufacturing, agriculture and horticulture.

“These are sectors in which the Netherlands is strong, but where companies are increasingly reaching their limits in terms of the availability of people and capacity.”

She also sees the relationship between India and Europe becoming increasingly strategic. This gives more companies the confidence to view India not just as a source of suppliers or an outsourcing market, but as a place for long-term collaboration and growth.

Does a Dutch company need to open its own office in India straight away? According to Noortje, certainly not.

“For many companies, it is actually smarter to start by working with Indian talent. That allows you to gain experience without immediately having to establish your own entity and manage all compliance requirements yourself.”

According to her, this intermediate step significantly lowers the barrier to getting started. Companies can discover how collaboration with an Indian team works and decide whether further expansion is worth pursuing.

Only then might establishing their own office become a logical next step.

“You see different models. Some companies work solely with Indian talent, while others eventually build their own team and later establish their own entity.”

Culture makes the difference

The opportunities are considerable, but Noortje emphasises that collaborating with India is not automatically straightforward.

“The biggest difference is often cultural. In the Netherlands, we are very direct and not particularly hierarchical. In India, hierarchy plays a much stronger role.”

You notice that difference, for example, in how employees interact with managers and handle feedback.

“People may find it harder to say no or give critical feedback to their manager. From the Netherlands, you might then assume everything is clear, even though there may still be doubts or problems.”

This can lead to misunderstandings, especially when working remotely. According to Noortje, local knowledge is therefore just as important as finding good talent.

“You need to understand not only who you need, but also how people collaborate and communicate. If you organise that well, the collaboration becomes much stronger.”

Which companies can benefit from India?

According to Noortje, India is not only attractive to large multinationals. Scale-ups and SMEs in particular can benefit significantly from collaboration with India.

“Scale-ups often need people quickly, but cannot always pay the salaries that larger companies offer. India can be attractive to them because of the combination of talent availability and cost.”

SMEs face a different set of questions.

“For example, these may be companies that want to take on new projects, expand their teams or replace people who are retiring. India can then provide access to expertise and capacity that are difficult to find in the Netherlands.”

Large corporations are often already a step further, establishing larger teams or centres of their own in India.

“WorldEmp mainly focuses on scale-ups and SMEs that do not yet have access to India themselves but want to make use of that market.”

Noortje’s role between the Netherlands and India

This is where Noortje’s role comes together. She helps companies not only find people, but also work out how to get started in India in the first place.

“If you want to know how to hire people there, how to build a team or how to eventually establish your own company, I can help you think that through. Because I live in India myself, I am close to what happens in practice.”

She also actively seeks collaboration with industry associations, knowledge clusters and industrial networks.

“When you work with groups of companies, you can create much greater awareness of what is possible in India. There are still many opportunities, particularly in sectors such as maritime, manufacturing and engineering.”

Her ambition is clear: she wants many more Dutch companies to see India not just as a distant market, but as a realistic option for growth and collaboration.

For Noortje, India has therefore become not just a place where she works, but also where she lives and makes her home. And it is from that position that she helps Dutch companies better understand what is possible, where the opportunities lie and what it takes to make collaboration truly succeed.

Check out the full interview here: