BackBelgium working on high-level visit to India
This comes as Belgian firms eye opportunities in India’s burgeoning defence market, on the footsteps of French, Spanish and German defence firms that have stitched up lucrative contracts with India.
PremiumNEW DELHI : Belgium is planning a high level visit from its senior leadership to India early next year, according to persons aware of the matter. The visit is expected to be at the foreign minister or prime minister level.
This comes as Belgian firms eye opportunities in India’s burgeoning defence market, on the footsteps of French, Spanish and German defence firms that have stitched up lucrative contracts with India.
Belgium cooperates closely with these companies and is well- integrated in the wider European defence ecosystem.
Bilateral economic relations largely centre around the diamond trade. India is Belgium’s third largest export destination and fourth largest trade partner outside the EU. Trade in 2020 totalled €8.33 billion billion, of which Indian exports amounted to €4.46 billion and imports €3.87 billion.
Both sides have also held a number of high level bilateral meetings. Foreign minister S Jaishankar met with his Belgian counterpart, Philippe Goffin, in Brussels in 2020. Prime Minister Narendra Modi also visited the country in 2016. President Pranab Mukherjee also visited Belgium in October 2013. Meanwhile, King Philippe and Queen Mathilde of Belgium came on a state visit to India in November 2017.
The two countries also began regular foreign office consultations in 2018.
Belgium may hope to benefit from the heightened interest major European firms are showing in India. Spanish defence major Navantia and India’s L&T signed a pact to work together to make submarines for the Indian Navy. Germany’s ThyssenKrupp will also work with India’s Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Ltd. to bid for an estimated USD 5.2 billion contract to build diesel-electric submarines. France’s Safran will also work with HAL on helicopter engines.
“They (India and France) also support industrial cooperation for motorization of heavy-lift helicopters under the Indian Multi Role Helicopter [IMRH] programme with Safran Helicopter Engine, France. To enable progress on the IMRH programme, a Shareholders’ Agreement between Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), India and Safran Helicopter Engine, France has been concluded for engine development," said India and France in a document entitled “Horizon 2047" which was released in advance of Prime Minister Modi’s July visit to France.
Belgian firms, which have worked actively with defence majors like Lockheed Martin and Airbus among other major European players, hope to benefit from this pivot to India.
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