New Delhi: India and Belgium have taken steps to deepen their defence-industrial partnership, with Defence Minister Rajnath Singh holding a “very productive” meeting with Belgian Defence and Trade Minister Theo Francken in New Delhi.
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Rajnath Singh said that the two sides reviewed the entire spectrum of defence relations and defence-industrial cooperation, with multiple MoUs and contracts signed during the engagement. The agreements aim to leverage Belgian technology alongside Indian skills and manufacturing scale.
The development comes amid a broader push by India to expand defence cooperation with European partners while strengthening its domestic manufacturing ecosystem.
The latest agreements indicate a model that goes beyond conventional defence procurement. Belgium brings specialised technological capabilities, while India offers a large industrial base, engineering expertise and manufacturing capacity.
Francken, who is also responsible for foreign trade, highlighted India's technological capabilities and said Belgium sees value in working with India on future projects. He noted that collaboration projects have already progressed to signed contracts following Belgium's major economic mission to India in 2025.
The defence discussions are taking place alongside Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever's official India visit from September 2–4, giving the defence-industrial engagement a wider bilateral and economic context.
For New Delhi, partnerships of this nature support a broader strategy of combining foreign technology with domestic manufacturing, while diversifying India's network of defence partners.
For Belgium, India provides access to a major defence and technology ecosystem and a potential platform for future industrial cooperation.
The emerging partnership therefore represents a shift from simply buying defence technology to building industrial capabilities together.
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