New Delhi: India and Belgium are set to take their defence partnership to a new level, with 10 agreements involving defence companies from both countries covering rocket systems, ammunition production, naval mine-countermeasure technology and other advanced military capabilities.
The agreements were announced during Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever’s visit to New Delhi, which is accompanied by a strong industrial delegation of 15 Belgian defence companies. The focus of the engagement is not limited to equipment sales, but increasingly centres on local manufacturing, technology partnerships and long-term industrial cooperation.
Rockets to be assembled and manufactured in India
One of the key developments is the partnership involving Thales Belgium and Kalyani Strategic Systems for the production of 70mm rocket systems in India.
The arrangement is expected to begin with local assembly and gradually move towards greater levels of indigenous production. The first fully India-produced rocket is expected to roll out in early 2027.
The partnership is significant for India’s efforts to expand domestic manufacturing of precision and air-launched weapons while integrating global defence technologies with Indian industrial capabilities.
New ammunition manufacturing capacity
A separate agreement between Belgian defence manufacturer New Lachaussée and India’s Tembo Classic Engineering will focus on establishing a large-scale ammunition manufacturing capability.
The proposed project, estimated at around €50 million, is expected to have the capacity to produce approximately 100 million rounds a year across different calibres. The project is expected to be implemented during 2028-29.
Cooperation in naval mine warfare
The maritime security component of the partnership includes cooperation between Exail Belgium and Larsen & Toubro on autonomous systems designed to help detect, identify and neutralise naval mines.
The technology could support India’s Mine Countermeasure Vessel programme and strengthen the Indian Navy’s ability to deal with underwater mine threats in strategically important waters.
Wider defence cooperation
The 10 agreements cover a broader range of capabilities, including counter-drone technology, electro-optical systems, marine engines, air-defence solutions, weapons systems and armoured-vehicle technologies.
Belgian companies are also exploring opportunities to participate in India’s emerging defence programmes, including the Zorawar light tank project.
A deeper industrial partnership
The latest agreements reflect a broader transformation in India-Belgium defence relations. Instead of focusing primarily on buying foreign equipment, the partnership is increasingly moving towards joint production, technology collaboration, research and development and manufacturing within India.
For Belgium, the Indian market offers opportunities to expand its defence industry’s global footprint. For India, partnerships of this nature can strengthen domestic supply chains and support the Aatmanirbhar Bharat objective in defence manufacturing.
The 10 agreements therefore mark more than a series of commercial deals—they point towards deeper India-Belgium defence-industrial integration, with advanced military technologies increasingly being brought into India’s own manufacturing ecosystem.