
The Dutch royal family were greeted by traditional Indian dancers and musicians as they touched down in Delhi to begin their five-day state visit.

King Willem-Alexander was joined by his wife Queen Maxima on his first Indian state visit since his ascension to the throne in 2013.

The royal couple will spend their visit holding meetings with the top Indian leadership to boost economic and political cooperation.

The Dutch royal family were greeted by traditional Indian dancers and musicians as they touched down in Delhi to begin their five-day state visit

King Willem-Alexander was joined by his wife Queen Maxima on his first Indian state visit since his ascension to the throne in 2013

President Ram Nath Kovind invited them on the visit, which will include stops in New Delhi, Mumbai, and Kerala.

The royals will meet President Kovind tomorrow and Prime Minister Narendra Modi and will speak with External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jasihankar.

They are also expected to visit the 'Indo-Dutch interactions in the time of Rembrandt' exhibition at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Museum in Mumbai on Wednesday.

And by Thursday they will have reached Kerala, a state on India's tropical Malabar Coast.

India and the Netherlands had a bilateral trade turnover of $12.9billion (£10.3billion) in the last year and the Netherlands is the fifth largest investor in India.

The royal couple will spend their visit holding meetings with the top Indian leadership to boost economic and political cooperation

The royals will meet President Kovind tomorrow and Prime Minister Narendra Modi and will speak with External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jasihankar

The Dutch country has cumulatively invested $23billion (£18.2billion) between 2000 and December 2017, according to the Ministry of External Affairs.

King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima will also attend the inaugural session of the 25th Technology Summit in New Delhi on Tuesday.

They will be accompanied at the technology and innovation fair by roughly 140 businesses which represent various sectors, including agriculture, water, health care and climate change.

King Willem-Alexander has previously said: 'India is a very important country for the Netherlands.

'India is amazing, its hustle-bustle, they have vibrant technology innovations and it is an amazing place to do business.'

He also said that although he regretted the Brexit process, the post-Brexit period would allow for the Netherlands to become an important European entry point for Indian companies.

India and the Netherlands had a bilateral trade turnover of $12.9billion (£10.3billion) in the last year and the Netherlands is the fifth largest investor in India

King Willem-Alexander has previously said: 'India is a very important country for the Netherlands. India is amazing, its hustle-bustle, they have vibrant technology innovations and it is an amazing place to do business

He also said that although he regretted the Brexit process, the post-Brexit period would allow for the Netherlands to become an important European entry point for Indian companies

The royal couple are also expected to visit the 'Indo-Dutch interactions in the time of Rembrandt' exhibition at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Museum in Mumbai on Wednesday

King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima will also attend the inaugural session of the 25th Technology Summit in New Delhi on Tuesday