Indian service providers are expanding their presence in the Netherlands and assuming partial or entire control over the ICT operations of large groups like banks and multinational corporations. In addition to serving as a gateway to the market in continental Europe, the Netherlands has a highly developed market for outsourcing corporate activities.
Numerous foreign nationals also migrate from India to work in the Netherlands. In contrast to the 3955 Indian immigrants who arrived in the country in 2012, there were already 8630 in 2017. A total of 35,490 Indians arrived here throughout those five years. Almost all these workers in ICT have advanced degrees.
Indian ICT-ITES
The Indian ICT-ITES (Information Technology Enabled Services) market has long sparked an interest. It generates 7.5 per cent of India’s gross national product, employs 2.8 million people worldwide, and has improved the image of the nation abroad. The large pool of low-cost IT professionals in India is the foundation of the traditional delivery model used by Indian ICT-ITES companies. Indian software engineers were primarily known for being inexpensive in the 1990s. Since then, India has gotten more and more involved in back-office operations.
However, proximity to the clients turned out to be necessary for more difficult jobs, typically from global companies. Indian ICT-ITES companies have been active in opening branches abroad since the turn of the century. Initially, mainly sales offices bring in orders that are processed in India, but now also local service centres as necessary.
Starting European Business in England
Indian businesses frequently begin their European growth in England. Businesses from India can easily start there due to historical ties and a large British-Indian community. A highly established outsourcing market is also available in England. English and continental Europe are frequently mentioned in the language of Indian businesses. They go to the continent of Europe when England is unable to supply the continental European market any longer. The main consideration is whether there are enough local orders to justify opening a new branch.
Indian ICT-ITES businesses
There are currently forty Indian ICT-ITES businesses operating in the Dutch market, including sixteen of the top twenty. Since ICT-ITES outsourcing is a business-to-business activity, they are frequently invisible to the general public. Tata Consultancy Services is the largest and most well-known ICT-ITES corporation in India (TCS). It is most known in the Netherlands for supporting the Amsterdam marathon as a member of the Tata Group, which also includes Tata Steel, previously Hoogovens.
TCS has been operating in the Netherlands since the early 1990s and currently has about a thousand employees (around three hundred thousand worldwide). TCS was voted as the top employer in the Dutch ICT market this year. Infosys, Wipro, HCL, and Tech Mahindra are other significant Indian businesses operating in the Netherlands. In polls of consumer satisfaction, Indian businesses perform well. They frequently receive praise for working with clients to come up with solutions to challenging projects.
Entering the Dutch market
The Netherlands is the best place to start if you want to expand toward continental Europe. The presence of several multinationals offers plenty of opportunities to acquire contracts. Dutch businesses are significantly more aggressive at contracting out work to outside parties than, for example, German or French businesses. Additionally, more general location factors like easy accessibility and English language proficiency are important. The most popular location for banking and financial services is in Amsterdam (the Zuidas), followed by The Hague (telecom industry) and Eindhoven (High Tech Campus).
In the coming years, Indian businesses will continue to grow in the Netherlands. Indian enterprises are becoming more and more frequent participants in the Dutch outsourcing industry thanks to rising local investments, an increase in local employment and the gradual fading of cultural barriers.
