Belgium’s PM Heads to India as EU–India Trade Takes Centre Stage

Source:- etvbharat.com Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever

The Belgian PM visit to India will take place from 2 to 4 September 2026, with Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever holding talks in New Delhi and participating in business engagements in Mumbai. The visit, at the invitation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, comes as India and the European Union move into the next phase of their economic relationship following the conclusion of negotiations on the EU–India Free Trade Agreement earlier this year. For Belgium, the visit also offers an opportunity to strengthen its economic and political ties with India while supporting wider India–EU engagement.

Talks in New Delhi

Prime Minister De Wever will meet Prime Minister Modi in New Delhi on 3 September. According to India's Ministry of External Affairs, the two leaders will discuss the “entire spectrum” of bilateral relations as well as regional and global issues of mutual interest.

The visit is De Wever's first to India since becoming Belgian Prime Minister in 2025. He will be accompanied by Theo Francken, Belgium's Minister of Defence and Foreign Trade, reflecting the range of issues expected to feature during the visit.

The meeting follows the India–Belgium Strategic Dialogue held in Brussels in July 2026, which was co-chaired by External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and Belgium's Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Maxime Prévot. Discussions covered areas including clean energy, mobility and pharmaceuticals.

The two sides are also expected to sign memoranda of understanding during the visit.

Belgian PM Bart De Wever’s India visit highlights a growing India–Belgium partnership, with trade, the EU–India FTA, diamonds, logistics and clean-energy cooperation taking centre stage.

Trade Takes a Prominent Place

Trade is one of the clearest India–EU links in the visit. Prime Minister De Wever is scheduled to address a Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) business summit focused on the recently concluded India–EU Free Trade Agreement.

India and the EU concluded negotiations on the agreement on 27 January 2026. The deal now moves through the necessary legal and approval processes before it can enter into force.

The scale of the relationship gives the agreement wider significance. According to the European Commission, the EU is one of India's largest trading partners, with €118 billion in goods trade in 2025.

Belgium has its own substantial commercial relationship with India. According to India's Ministry of Commerce and Industry, bilateral trade between the two countries was around US$8.8 billion in financial year 2024–25.

For Belgian and Indian businesses, the next stage will be about understanding how the new EU–India trade framework translates into opportunities across individual sectors.

From Brussels to Mumbai

The Prime Minister's programme continues in Mumbai on 4 September, where he will meet representatives from business and civil society.

The city's role in the visit is closely linked to Belgium's commercial strengths. De Wever is scheduled to visit the Bharat Diamond Bourse and inaugurate a new office of HRD Antwerp. He will also attend a networking event hosted by the Port of Antwerp-Bruges.

These engagements bring two established areas of India–Belgium economic cooperation — diamonds and logistics — into the programme, while also providing an opportunity for businesses to discuss wider commercial links.

Belgian companies have long been active in India's economy, while Indian businesses have developed commercial links with Belgium, particularly through Antwerp and its role in international trade and logistics.

The Wider EU Connection

The India–EU dimension is not separate from the bilateral relationship. India's Ministry of External Affairs has specifically stated that the visit will provide an opportunity to “further deepen India–EU and India–Europe engagement”.

That connection is particularly relevant following the conclusion of the EU–India Free Trade Agreement and the continued work of the EU–India Trade and Technology Council (TTC).

The TTC provides a platform for India and the EU to work on issues including trade, technology and strategic areas of cooperation. The third TTC meeting was held in Brussels in July 2026, keeping economic and technology cooperation high on the agenda.

Belgium's position within the European Union gives the bilateral relationship an additional EU dimension. Discussions between Brussels and New Delhi can therefore have relevance beyond the two countries, particularly where they concern trade, investment, technology and business regulation.

Business Links Beyond Trade

The visit also comes as India and the EU expand cooperation in newer areas. Battery recycling is one example. In 2026, the EU and India launched a €15.2 million joint initiative on EV battery recycling under the Trade and Technology Council, covering areas including material recovery, collection systems and recycling technologies.

Clean energy, pharmaceuticals, mobility, semiconductors and technology have also featured in recent India–Belgium discussions.

For businesses, these areas matter because the India EU relationship is increasingly being built through sector-specific cooperation alongside the broader political relationship.

A Visit with a Wider EU Context

The Belgian Prime Minister's visit comes at an important point in the India–EU relationship, but its immediate focus remains practical: discussions between governments, engagement with industry and cooperation in areas where businesses already have established links.

The programme in New Delhi and Mumbai brings these strands together, the India EU trade agreement, bilateral investment, technology cooperation and established commercial sectors such as diamonds and ports.

The visit is therefore worth watching not only as a bilateral India Belgium engagement, but also for what it says about the wider business relationship between India and Europe.