New Delhi: India and Belgium are looking to deepen defence and defence-industrial cooperation amid growing geopolitical and economic uncertainty, with Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and his Belgian counterpart Theo Francken reviewing the full spectrum of bilateral defence ties in New Delhi.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh described the current global environment as one of “great geopolitical and economic turmoil”, stressing the importance of closer engagement with partners such as Belgium. He highlighted the scope for greater cooperation between Indian and Belgian defence companies.
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The discussions assume added significance as India increasingly seeks partnerships that go beyond conventional defence procurement. Singh said multiple MoUs and contracts have already been signed under defence-industrial cooperation, aimed at combining Belgian technology with Indian skills and manufacturing scale.
Belgian Defence Minister Theo Francken highlighted India's technological capabilities and said Belgium needs partners such as India for future projects. He pointed to the progress made since Belgium's major economic mission to India in 2025, noting that collaboration projects have already moved towards signed contracts.
This creates an opportunity for the relationship to evolve from technology access and procurement towards joint industrial projects, with India offering manufacturing capacity and a large defence-industrial ecosystem, while Belgium brings specialised technological expertise.
The engagement also comes during Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever's September 2–4 visit to India, his country's first prime-ministerial visit to India in more than two decades. The wider visit covers bilateral, regional and global issues, giving the defence discussions a broader strategic context.
For India, deeper defence cooperation with Belgium fits into its strategy of diversifying technology partnerships while strengthening domestic manufacturing.
For Belgium, closer cooperation with India's expanding defence and technology ecosystem offers access to a large industrial base and potential future projects.
The relationship is therefore moving beyond traditional bilateral defence engagement towards a model centred on technology, industrial cooperation and joint opportunities.
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