India-Belgium Defence B2B meeting in New Delhi. (03 September 2026).
India-Belgium Defence Cooperation: India and Belgium are actively seeking ways to deepen their defence industrial collaboration. The goal is to build stronger militaries through co-development and co-production of advanced equipment. This cooperative push was the central focus of high-level discussions in New Delhi, where defence leaders from both nations gathered to explore new avenues for strategic partnership and economic engagement.
The Minister of Defence & Foreign Trade of Belgium, Theo Francken, emphasised the strong potential that exists for industrial collaboration between the two countries. Alongside him, junior defence minister Sanjay Seth urged Belgian defence manufacturers to leverage their technological expertise. By combining Belgian technology with India’s massive manufacturing scale, both nations hope to co-develop and co-produce niche products that ensure shared security and prosperity.
The two ministers graced the India-Belgium Defence CEOs Roundtable and B2B Meetings, which took place on September 3, 2026. The event brought together key decision-makers, including representatives of the Belgian industry, the Confederation of Indian Industry, and the Society of Indian Defence Manufacturers. The gathering served as a platform for discussing how European and South Asian industrial bases can align to meet modern security challenges.
Strategic Partnership and European Union Integration
During the discussions, the Belgian defence minister underscored the growing strategic partnership between India and the European Union. He highlighted the robust dialogue structures that are currently developing across multiple critical sectors, including maritime security, information security, and aerospace. These institutional frameworks have successfully established India as a trusted and reliable partner for the EU on the global stage.
Commending the dynamism of Indian entrepreneurs, Theo Francken stressed the pressing need to bolster the two militaries in an evolving and unpredictable global security environment through joint efforts. Highlighting the necessity of mutual support and collective strength, he noted, “United we stand, divided we fall.” This sentiment captured the cooperative spirit of the meetings, signaling a willingness to look past traditional boundaries and build integrated defence ecosystems.
The dialogue also touched upon how regional security dynamics require adaptable and resilient supply chains. As geopolitical tensions shift, both nations recognize that relying solely on domestic solutions or isolated supply chains can introduce vulnerabilities. By pooling resources, research capabilities, and technical know-how, India and Belgium hope to create a more stable framework for military modernization.
Belgium Defence Leadership at the B2B meeting in New Delhi. (03 September 2026).
Transformation of India’s Defence Manufacturing Sector
Highlighting the strategic transformation of India’s defence manufacturing sector, the junior defence minister stated that the nation is decisively moving away from import dependence. Instead, India is focusing on building indigenous capability, fostering trusted partnerships, and achieving global competitiveness. This shift is being driven by major national initiatives such as Aatmanirbhar Bharat and Make-in-India, which aim to transform the country into a global manufacturing hub.
Explaining the broader vision behind these domestic reforms, Sanjay Seth said, “This transformation is outward-facing. Strategic autonomy is best secured through credible, mutually beneficial international collaboration.” Rather than closing its doors to foreign players, India is actively inviting international partners to participate in its growing defence market, ensuring that technological exchanges flow in both directions.
This outward-facing approach marks a significant departure from historical procurement models. In the past, India relied heavily on direct imports from foreign suppliers. Today, the emphasis is firmly on technology transfers, joint research, and local manufacturing. This ensures that domestic industries retain critical skills while foreign partners gain access to a competitive, large-scale production environment.
Technological Priorities and Innovation Platforms
Moving into specific areas of cooperation, Sanjay Seth emphasised that India and Belgium can leverage their respective strengths to prioritize collaboration in several advanced technological domains. Key areas of interest include cyber security, AI-enabled unmanned aerial systems, underwater domain vehicles, and complex weapon systems. These technologies represent the cutting edge of modern military capabilities and require specialized expertise that both nations can jointly develop.
Furthermore, the junior defence minister noted that innovation platforms like iDEX and ADITI are actively engaging start-ups and MSMEs. These platforms focus on emerging fields such as artificial intelligence, quantum technologies, military communications, anti-drone systems, and adaptive camouflage. According to Sanjay Seth, these initiatives provide “excellent avenues for bilateral R&D and industrialisation,” allowing smaller technology firms to contribute to major defence projects.
By involving start-ups and micro, small, and medium enterprises, the innovation ecosystem becomes much more dynamic. Traditional defence procurement has often been dominated by large state-owned enterprises or massive multinational corporations. Incorporating agile tech start-ups allows both India and Belgium to accelerate the deployment of software-driven solutions and rapid prototyping that traditional manufacturing pipelines might otherwise miss.
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Indian defence companies at B2B meeting in New Delhi. (03 September 2026).
Industrial Infrastructure and Regulatory Reforms
Providing a comprehensive overview of the country’s industrial capacity, the junior defence minister pointed out that India’s defence industrial base today combines Defence Public Sector Units, a growing private sector, and over 16,000 MSMEs. This broad network delivers advanced capabilities across aerospace, naval and land platforms, defence electronics, cyber security, space technologies, and unmanned systems. Through Department of Defence Production-led measures, India is actively accelerating capacity building, strengthening supply chains, and incentivizing technology transfer and co-development.
To facilitate smoother business operations and attract foreign investment, significant regulatory reforms have been introduced. Sanjay Seth underlined that India has liberalized Foreign Direct Investment in defence up to 74% under the automatic route and up to 100% through the government route. These policy adjustments are specifically designed to enable deep partnerships in niche technologies. Additionally, he noted that “the new space policy permits 100% FDI,” opening up the aerospace and satellite domains to foreign collaborators.
Infrastructure development is also playing a major role in attracting international original equipment manufacturers. Dedicated Defence Industrial Corridors have been established in Tamil Nadu and Uttar Pradesh, with further corridors planned in Maharashtra, Assam, and other regions. These specialized zones offer competitive incentives and comprehensive ecosystem support for foreign original equipment manufacturers and industrial partners looking to establish a footprint in South Asia.
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Formalizing Partnerships Through Agreements
The culmination of the discussions was marked by the exchange of multiple Memorandums of Understanding. These pacts are aimed squarely at leveraging Belgian technology alongside Indian skill and production scale. The agreements span a diverse array of military and security applications, involving both established defence contractors and specialized technology firms from both countries.
The formal agreements exchanged during the event include:
A pact between the Society of Indian Defence Manufacturers and the Belgian Security & Defence Industry.
An agreement between Larsen & Toubro Limited (India), Exail Robotics SAS (France), and EXAIL Robotics (Belgium).
A partnership between Kalyani Strategic Systems Ltd (India) and FN Herstal (Belgium).
A collaboration between Tembo Classic Engineering Pvt Ltd (India) and Lachaussée SA (Belgium).
An agreement between India Optel Ltd (India) and OIP (Belgium).
A pact involving Krishna Industries Pvt Ltd (India) and Pitagone (Belgium).
An arrangement between DGVK Enterprises Private Limited (India) and Sol1 BV (Belgium).
A cooperative agreement between Kalyani Strategic Systems Ltd (India), Thales Belgium SA, and Thales India Pvt Ltd.
These signed agreements translate high-level diplomatic dialogue into concrete industrial projects. By establishing clear pathways for joint ventures and technical cooperation, Indian and Belgian firms are well-positioned to meet the demands of modern military supply chains while fostering long-term economic growth.
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