The Netherlands vs UK

Indian companies have traditionally favoured the United Kingdom (UK) for their European headquarters, owing to a historic link and a certain assumed comfort in terms of language and culture. However, the Netherlands offers many more advantages-physical proximity to markets in continental Europe, a logistics and transportation infrastructure par excellence, and a pro-business tax regime. In a 2005 study by Ernst & Young, the Netherlands significantly outperforms the UK and most other European countries as a headquarter location.

The study rated countries on a scale of 100 for cost and benefits. As you can see, except for Switzerland, the Netherlands offers significant cost advantages as well as other benefits as compared to other countries.

The study also rated countries on a scale of 100 for various parameters that companies use to choose a headquarter location. The Netherlands scores above the UK on nearly every parameter and is especially advantageous for transportation, business environment and ICT infrastructure.