India-Belgium sign Defence MoUs to expand Co-Devp and Co-Production

Target defence collaboration in AI, Drones, Cyber Security

NEW DELHI: India and Belgium on Thursday called for deeper defence industrial cooperation, with both sides pitching co-development and co-production of niche defence technologies to strengthen military capabilities and build more resilient industrial partnerships.

The call was made at the India-Belgium Defence CEOs Roundtable and B2B Meetings in New Delhi, attended by Belgian defence industry representatives, the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and the Society of Indian Defence Manufacturers (SIDM).

Belgian Minister of Defence and Foreign Trade Theo Francken emphasised the scope for expanding industrial cooperation between the two countries, while Minister of State for Defence Sanjay Seth urged Belgian defence companies to combine their technological expertise with India’s manufacturing capacity and skilled workforce.

Francken highlighted the expanding strategic partnership between India and the European Union, noting the development of institutional dialogue mechanisms covering maritime security, information security and aerospace. He said these frameworks had established India as a trusted partner for the EU.

Commending Indian entrepreneurs, the Belgian minister called for joint efforts to strengthen the capabilities of the two countries’ armed forces amid an evolving security environment.

“United we stand, divided we fall,” Francken said.

Seth said India’s defence manufacturing sector was undergoing a transition from import dependence towards indigenous capability, trusted international partnerships and greater global competitiveness under initiatives such as Aatmanirbhar Bharat and Make in India.

“This transformation is outward-facing. Strategic autonomy is best secured through credible, mutually beneficial international collaboration,” he said.

The Minister of State for Defence identified cyber security, AI-enabled unmanned aerial systems, underwater domain vehicles and complex weapon systems among areas where India and Belgium could combine their respective capabilities.

He also pointed to innovation initiatives such as iDEX and ADITI, which are bringing start-ups and MSMEs into areas including artificial intelligence, quantum technologies, military communications, counter-drone systems and adaptive camouflage.

“These are excellent avenues for bilateral R&D and industrialisation,” Seth said.

India’s expanding defence industrial ecosystem, he said, now comprises Defence Public Sector Undertakings, a growing private sector and more than 16,000 MSMEs, with domestic manufacturers developing capabilities across aerospace, naval and land systems, defence electronics, cyber security, space technologies and unmanned platforms.

Seth said measures led by the Department of Defence Production were aimed at expanding manufacturing capacity, strengthening domestic value chains and encouraging technology transfer and co-development with international partners.

India’s foreign investment regime in defence was also highlighted as an avenue for deeper industrial partnerships. Seth said foreign direct investment in defence had been permitted up to 74 per cent through the automatic route and up to 100 per cent through the government route, particularly to facilitate investment in niche technologies.

He further cited the new space policy, which permits up to 100 per cent FDI, as well as the Defence Industrial Corridors in Tamil Nadu and Uttar Pradesh. Additional corridors planned in Maharashtra, Assam and other regions, he said, would offer incentives and ecosystem support to foreign original equipment manufacturers and technology partners.

The discussions translated into several industrial agreements aimed at combining Belgian technology with Indian manufacturing capabilities.

MoUs were exchanged between SIDM and the Belgian Security & Defence Industry; Larsen & Toubro and Exail Robotics; Kalyani Strategic Systems and FN Herstal; Tembo Classic Engineering and Lachaussée; India Optel and OIP; Krishna Industries and Pitagone; DGVK Enterprises and Sol1 BV; and Kalyani Strategic Systems, Thales Belgium and Thales India.

The agreements cover a range of defence and security technologies and are intended to deepen industrial linkages between companies from the two countries.

The discussions come as India seeks to expand its defence manufacturing base, reduce reliance on imports and integrate domestic companies more closely with global defence technology and supply chains.