India and Belgium have signed a Letter of Intent during Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever's official visit to India, marking a significant milestone in bilateral defence cooperation. The agreement, signed during De Wever's visit beginning September 2, 2026, establishes a framework for regular exchanges, staff talks, education and training, research cooperation and defence-industrial partnerships. As per the India-Belgium joint statement, this Letter of Intent between the two defence ministries will create a comprehensive structure for military exchanges, training, research and defence-industrial partnerships. The Belgian PM was accompanied by Belgium's Defence and Foreign Trade Minister Theo Francken during the bilateral talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi. Belgium's Defence and Foreign Trade Minister Theo Francken and a delegation including 15 Belgian defence companies are part of De Wever's delegation to India, with Francken and Minister of State for Defence Sanjay Seth attending a Defence Chief Executive Officers' roundtable.
The summit has elevated defence cooperation to a key strategic pillar in India-Belgium relations, with the latest developments establishing concrete frameworks for military collaboration. Modi confirmed that 'defence and security cooperation is a key pillar of our relationship' and highlighted ongoing collaboration on modern defence equipment such as the Zorawar tank. The defence pact provides a framework for military training, officer exchanges, research and development, joint exercises and maritime-security cooperation. The latest push builds on an understanding reached between the two countries' defence ministers in March 2025 to institutionalise and strengthen bilateral defence cooperation. Francken stressed the need to bolster cooperation between the two militaries in the evolving security environment, saying 'United we stand, divided we fall'. The deals signed between Belgian and Indian companies covered weapons and defence equipment, with agreements between Exail Belgium and Larsen & Toubro Ltd to build mine countermeasure vessels, Thales Belgium assembling 70 mm rockets in India with Kalyani Strategic Systems Ltd, New Lachaussée supplying a $58.1 million ammunition production line, and John Cockerill Defence supplying the turret for India's Zorawar light tank.
The defence partnership includes expanded military-to-military engagement, particularly in maritime security, emerging technologies and cooperation in the Indo-Pacific. India will appoint a resident defence attaché at its embassy in Brussels, while Belgium posted its defence attaché at its embassy in New Delhi earlier this year. As part of the expanding engagement, Belgian frigate LEOPOLD I is scheduled to visit India from November 5-8, 2026. Belgium's Defence College is also expected to organise its 2027 World Study Trip in India, while India's College of Defence Management is scheduled to undertake a study tour of Belgium in October. The Belgian PM also condemned the April 2025 Pahalgam terror attack and reiterated Belgium's solidarity with India in combating terrorism.
India and Belgium have announced their intent to double bilateral trade in the next five years from $13.01 billion (FY26) and diversify it beyond their diamond commerce by leveraging the India-European Union free trade deal. Modi highlighted India's robust economic performance, stating that 'India's economy has maintained its momentum and recorded a growth of 7.8 percent in the last quarter'. He emphasized that 'India's growth story is becoming a source of confidence and new opportunities for the world', even as he acknowledged global challenges including 'conflict persisting in many parts of the world, situations of conflict affecting food, fuel or supply chains'. The Belgian PM described the conclusion of the India-European Union free trade pact as a major milestone, noting that 'New Delhi and Brussels are building a relationship that is broad and more strategic than ever before'. Modi also pitched for resolving conflicts in Ukraine and West Asia through dialogue and diplomacy, stating that 'India and Belgium, both believe in the rule of law, dialogue, and diplomacy'.
During the summit, Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu held talks with Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever on enhancing civil aviation cooperation, including direct air connectivity options, improvements in pharmaceutical air cargo and advanced air mobility initiatives. As per an official statement, the discussions covered options for direct air connectivity between the two countries, improvements in air cargo operations for the high-value pharmaceutical sector and advanced air mobility initiatives. "Honored to meet Prime Minister of Belgium. Discussed further strengthening of India-Belgium cooperation in civil aviation, including direct air connectivity, air cargo for the high-value pharmaceutical sector and Advanced air mobility," the minister posted on X. "With the India–EU FTA negotiations concluded under the leadership of Hon'ble Prime Minister @narendramodi, there is tremendous potential to deepen India–Belgium trade and investment ties further," Naidu added. The India-EU trade agreement, described by policymakers as the 'mother of all deals', is expected to be signed by December 2026 and come into force between February and March next year, providing around 93% of Indian exports with duty-free access.
