Warning that the world is passing through a “decade of disasters”, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said the combined impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, global conflicts and the ongoing energy crisis could reverse decades of economic progress and push millions back into poverty.Addressing the Indian diaspora at a community event in The Hague during his visit to the Netherlands, Modi said the international community must urgently work towards building resilient and trusted supply chains amid mounting geopolitical and economic uncertainty.“First came the COVID-19 pandemic, followed by the outbreak of conflicts, and now, the current energy crisis. This decade is turning out to be a decade of disasters for the world,” Modi said.“If these circumstances are not reversed swiftly, the achievements of the past several decades could be undone. A vast segment of the global population could once again be pushed back into the quagmire of poverty,” he added.Against the backdrop of global instability, Modi underlined the growing strategic partnership between India and the Netherlands, particularly in the areas of energy security, water management and emerging green technologies.“The world today is discussing the need for resilient supply chains. In this context, India and the Netherlands are working together to build a trusted, transparent and future-ready supply chain,” the Prime Minister said.Notably, Netherlands is home to the largest number of Indian origin people in mainland Europe, including around 2,00,000 members of the Surinami-Hindustani community.Highlighting cooperation on green hydrogen, Modi also referred to the recently concluded India-European Union trade agreement, describing it as a major step that would deepen economic engagement between India and the Netherlands.He said the Netherlands would emerge as a “natural gateway” for Indian businesses seeking entry into European markets and noted that the Indian diaspora could play a key role in strengthening commercial and cultural ties.“Our diaspora can act as a trusted bridge because it understands both India’s aspirations and Europe’s standards,” he said.In a wide-ranging speech that blended geopolitics, economic ambition and diaspora outreach, Modi projected India as a rapidly transforming global power driven by technology, innovation and infrastructure expansion.He said India was aspiring to become a global manufacturing hub, a leader in green energy and a major player in artificial intelligence and semiconductors.Referring to India’s growing digital ecosystem, Modi said the country now records over 20 billion UPI transactions every month and has emerged as the world’s third-largest startup ecosystem.“India’s aspirations are unlimited, and therefore our efforts too have become limitless,” he said.The Prime Minister also highlighted India’s achievements in infrastructure, renewable energy, semiconductor manufacturing and digital public infrastructure, while asserting that the country’s democratic foundations were growing stronger alongside economic development.During his address, Modi praised the Indian community in the Netherlands for preserving Indian culture and traditions across generations and described them as the “living bridge” between the two countries.The Prime Minister also announced that eligibility for Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) cards for the Surinamese-Hindustani community had been extended from the fourth to the sixth generation.