Netherlands PM enjoys masala chai on Bengaluru's Church Street, pays through UPI

Mark Rutte had masala chai at "Chai Point" on Church Street in Bengaluru. (Image: @MinPres/X)

Netherlands Prime Minister Mark Rutte, who arrived in India to attend the G20 Summit that happened in Delhi, enjoyed masala chai, the beloved beverage of many Indians, in Bengaluru on Monday. He also conducted a meeting with senior Karnataka cabinet ministers including Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar in Bengaluru.

Rutte took to Twitter to share pictures in a long post on X (formerly Twitter). The prime minister took a walk on the cobblestone-paved Church Street in the heart of the city, posed for selfies and also interacted with the crowd. Later, he had masala tea from “Chai Point”, a popular cafe chain, and paid for it using Unified Payments Interface (UPI).

"UPI looks very simple and easy. It was fascinating to go through experience once," Rutte told reporters. The Indian government had showcased UPI to the G20 delegates as well.

pic.twitter.com/giqiix2uQP — Mark Rutte (@MinPres) September 11, 2023

The Dutch PM also cycled for some distance on Church Street with Bengaluru’s bicycle mayor Sathya Sankaran.

Netherlands PM Mark Rutte

"The Netherlands and India have wide-ranging economic ties. Over 350 Dutch companies do business here. India and the Netherlands also share the same enterprising spirit and capacity for innovation. We work together in areas like agriculture and water management, and more opportunities are opening up all the time," he wrote in a post on X.

The Netherlands and India have wide-ranging economic ties. Over 350 Dutch companies do business here. India and the Netherlands also share the same enterprising spirit and capacity for innovation. We work together in areas like agriculture and water management, and more… pic.twitter.com/qqfqYO7RQR — Mark Rutte (@MinPres) September 11, 2023

"This was the focus of my trip to Bangalore, in the south of India. It's great to see how the Netherlands and India are working together in many different areas," he added.

"Another special moment was my meeting with Bangalore’s bicycle mayor Sathya Sankaran (@bicyclemayorblr) – a job close to my heart. We discussed his sustainable vision for the city, with lots more space for cyclists and public transport," Rutte continued in his post.