New Delhi, Mar 27 (UNI) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday evening spoke with King Philippe of Belgium, during which they discussed deepening the strong bilateral ties and boosting trade and investment.
In a post on X, the PM said he also appreciated the visit to India earlier this month of the Belgium Economic Mission led by Princess Astrid.
“It was a pleasure to speak with HM King Philippe of Belgium. Appreciated the recent Belgian Economic Mission to India led by HRH Princess Astrid.
“We discussed deepening our strong bilateral ties, boosting trade & investment, and advancing collaboration in innovation & sustainability.”
The phone conversation comes as the Belgium government in a piece titled “Belgium and India have much to offer one another”, wrote that
In early March 2025, "362 representatives from Belgian companies and universities, led by Princess Astrid, travelled to India as a closer collaboration in numerous fields could yield fruitful results. Think of waste management, greener steel, ecological construction, cancer therapy, defence, and digital communication.
“The balance of power in the world is shifting significantly, causing a lot of uncertainty. Just think of the unpredictable behaviour of the US and the tensions between the US and China. The Global South, basically the former developing countries, is trying to regroup under the leadership of emerging powers.
Rising giant
“In a situation like this, it is crucial for a small country like Belgium, but also for the EU, to forge new alliances or deepen existing ones. The long-planned economic mission to India led by Princess Astrid couldn’t have been timed at a better moment.
“For India is one of those rising giants. Of its 1.4 billion inhabitants, 500 million belong to the middle class, which in itself offers huge potential. Currently, the South Asian country is the fastest-growing major economy in the world, ranking 5th among the largest economies. Moreover, it aims to become the Third largest economic power by 2030, surpassing Japan and Germany, which are currently the 4th and 3rd largest economies, respectively.
“A few figures about Belgium and India
India is the 7th largest country in the world, with a territory that is 107 times larger than Belgium.
India is Belgium’s 16th biggest customer (euro 4.9 billion) and 18th biggest supplier (euro 6.5 billion) of goods (2023).
From 2000 to 2023, Belgium was India's 20th largest investor ($2.8 billion). In 2022-2023, we even were the 15th largest investor ($228.66 million).
About 200 Belgian companies operate in India. This includes well-known names like Solvay, Bekaert, DEME, Umicore, Tractebel, John Cockerill, and the Port of Antwerp-Bruges.
Every year, around 1,000 Indians choose to study in Belgium.
Every day, 30 km of motorway and 15 km of railway are being built in India. 1,000 airplanes have been ordered from Boeing and Airbus.
37 contracts
"During the visit of the economic mission that took place from March 1 to 8, Princess Astrid, Minister of Foreign Affairs Prévot, Minister of Defence in charge of Foreign Trade Francken, and Minister-President of the Government of Flanders Diependaele, as well as 358 Belgian entrepreneurs, academics, journalists and others participated. Together they represented 142 companies.
"Eventually, 24 contracts were signed between Belgian and Indian companies in Delhi, while 13 companies and academic institutions signed contracts in Mumbai.
"The Federation of Enterprises in Belgium (FEB) organized a power lunch at the Belgian residence in Delhi where captains of industry from both countries could network to their heart's content. And during an investment lunch in Mumbai, Belgium's advantages were promoted to potential Indian investors," it said.
UNI RN