NFIA India seminar 2009: most interesting and enjoyable

The NFIA India seminar held Tuesday 8 December 2009, in Central London proved to be a great success. Expert speakers such as PwC, Zensar Technologies, Amsterdaminbusiness and the Consular Department of the Netherlands Embassy in London focussed on the advantages the Netherlands has to offer Indian companies.

Opening the event was the Ambassador of the Netherlands to the UK, Mr. Pim Waldeck by addressing recent developments in the Netherlands with India companies who have established or acquired their operation on mainland Europe. Pim Waldeck was followed by PwC’s Eelco van Solkema and Vikas Chaturvedi, giving a lively and valuable contribution to the seminar. Mr. van Solkema and Mr. Charturvedi touched upon the subjects of corporate structures, Dutch tax ruling and the Netherlands extensive tax treaty network. The duo-presentation caught the interest of the audience as the benefits of the Dutch tax climate for Indian companies were clearly stipulated.

When establishing operations in a new country many issues arise where Indian companies might need help with. Jolanda van der Aart of Amsterdaminbusiness presented all the initiatives taken in the Netherlands to make the Indian expats and their families feel at home in the Netherlands swiftly. Showing the several networking organisations as well as the social and sporting events set up for this fastest growing community in the Netherlands, Mrs. van der Aart impressed the room. The other explanatory helping hand was given by Ms. Carola Hakhof of the Visa section of the Consular Department. One of the more challenging topics to cover for Indian businesses looking into the Netherlands, Ms. Hakhof explained the measures taken by the Dutch Consular Department to reduce the burden of applying for visa. With the Orange Carpet Visa facility, the high-skilled migrant visa and a new visa application system many answers were given.

The final presentation of the evening gave first-hand experiences from Mr. Gurdeep Grewal of Zensar Technologies. In an energetic presentation Mr. Grewal pointed out some tips and tricks when expanding into the Netherlands. He also highlighted the successes the move to the Netherlands has given Zensar Technologies.

After final words from Liesbeth Staps, Executive Director NFIA UK & Ireland the drinks and canapés were served. “An outstanding informative event” was the general reaction afterwards in the Waterloo room. We look forward to seeing all attendees at one of our future events and thank you for your presence yesterday.

We also thank our organising partners Conferation of Indian Industries (CII) and Indo European Business Forum (IEBF) for their contribution and efforts.