India-Belgium Ties Enter New Era of Defense Manufacturing and Scientific Research

May 12, 2025 Posted by India Briefing Written by Sudhanshu Singh and Archana Rao Reading Time: 4 minutes

India and Belgium are strengthening defense and science partnerships through joint ventures, technology sharing, and economic diplomacy, signaling long-term trade growth.

India and Belgium have begun a new phase in their bilateral relationship, marked by collaboration in defense production and scientific innovation. The growing alignment between the two countries was underscored by a series of strategic meetings in 2025, culminating in defense cooperation agreements, manufacturing joint ventures, and expanded research collaborations in astronomy and space sciences. These developments come amid broader efforts by both governments to secure resilient supply chains, deepen economic ties, and strengthen industrial partnerships.

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Economic diplomacy and trade momentum

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On May 2, 2025, India’s Union Minister for Commerce and Industry, Piyush Goyal, met with Belgian Defense and Foreign Trade Minister Theo Francken and Minister-President of Flanders, Matthias Diependaele, in Brussels. These discussions focused on scaling bilateral trade, technology exchange, and innovation cooperation. They followed a March 2025 visit to India by Princess Astrid of Belgium, who led a 300-member economic mission.

Belgium is India’s fifth-largest trading partner in the European Union (EU), with bilateral trade reaching US$18.04 billion in FY 2023–24.

India-Belgium Trade Relations (Value in US$ Million)
Trade activities	FY 2020-21	FY 2021-22	FY 2022-23	FY 2023-24	FY 2024-25
India’s exports to Belgium	5,809.88	5,235.59	10,084.37	8,864.09	7,837.17
Growth (%)		-9.88	92.61	-12.10	-11.59
India’s import from Belgium	8,879.46	6,940.68	9,951.65	9,177.67	7,236.82
Growth (%)		-21.83	43.38	-7.78	-21.15
Total Trade	14,689.35	12,176.27	20,036.02	18,041.77	15,074.00

Source: Department of Commerce, Ministry of Commerce and Industry, GoI.

Belgian foreign direct investment (FDI) into India totaled US$4.06 billion from April 2000 to December 2024. Investment flows are concentrated in defense manufacturing, clean energy, pharmaceuticals, semiconductors, and nano-electronics. The Flanders region, Belgium’s industrial heartland, has been positioned as a key partner for India, owing to its advanced manufacturing and logistics ecosystem. The countries also discussed progress in the EU–India Free Trade Agreement (FTA) negotiations, emphasizing the removal of tariff and non-tariff barriers and broader market access.

Strategic collaborations in defense sector

A prominent outcome of the India-Belgium cooperation is Belgium’s active involvement in India’s light tank development program. The Zorawar light tank, co-developed by India’s Defense Research and Development Organization (DRDO) and Larsen & Toubro for deployment in Himalayan high-altitude terrain, features 105mm gun turrets supplied by Belgium’s John Cockerill Defense (JCD).

Further reinforcing bilateral cooperation between the two countries, JCD and India’s Electro Pneumatics & Hydraulics Pvt Ltd (EPHL) announced a 60:40 joint venture in March 2025 to manufacture tank turrets in India. This venture aims to localize high-end defense manufacturing and reduce import dependency. In addition to tank technologies, Thales Belgium signed contracts to supply 70mm rocket systems for Indian Army helicopters.

India’s defense manufacturing ambitions have been sharpened with the 2020 release of the Defense Production and Export Promotion Policy, setting a goal of reaching a defense turnover of US$25 billion and defense exports worth US$5 billion by 2025. The share of domestic procurement has been targeted to increase to 68 percent of the total procurement value, in line with the announcement made in the Union Budget 2025–26, which allocated INR 6.81 trillion (US$91 billion). This presents an opportunity for Belgian defense companies to manufacture and maintain locally in India.

Scientific cooperation and innovation in astronomy

Scientific ties between India and Belgium have also advanced in astronomy and instrumentation. Collaborations have been formed around India’s optical and radio telescope network, including the Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope, the Himalayan Chandra Telescope, and the Vainu Bappu Observatory.

On March 18, 2025, it was reported that Belgium has shown a strong interest in strengthening its collaboration with India in the field of astronomy. The country is actively involved in the development of the National Large Optical and Infrared Telescope (NLOT), which will be India’s first major optical-infrared observatory. Managed by the Indian Institute of Astrophysics, the NLOT will be situated in Ladakh and will focus on deep-space optical research. Belgian institutions are also partnering with India on optical instrumentation and technologies for tracking space debris in connection with the Aditya L1 solar mission and other national astronomical initiatives.

Sectoral trade performance

As per the trade data from the Belgian Foreign Trade Agency, FY 2022-23 reflects high-value exchanges across strategic and science-relevant sectors between the two countries. India’s top science and defense-related imports from Belgium included:

India’s Top Science and Defense-Related Imports from Belgium (FY2022-23)
Product category	Import value (US$)	Share of total imports (%)	Major subcomponents
Machinery and equipment	690.4 million	12.5	Parts of turbojets/turbopropellers, weaving machines (looms)
Chemical products	585.6 million	10.6	Vaccines for SARS-related coronaviruses, medicaments, aniline and its salts
Medical instruments	194.4 million	3.5	Optical, precision, and surgical instruments

Source: Belgian Foreign Trade Agency

Way ahead

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The India-Belgium strategic partnership is gaining new depth through targeted defense collaboration and scientific innovation. With joint ventures in turret manufacturing, rocket systems supply, and shared astronomical infrastructure, the relationship extends beyond trade into co-creation of technology and security platforms.

As EU–India FTA discussions progress and Indian reforms make the market more accessible, Belgian firms are well-positioned to expand their footprint. The integration of Belgian high-tech expertise with India’s large-scale manufacturing capacity provides a model for international industrial cooperation.

(US$1 = INR 85.5)

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