Belgium and India sign major defense deals boosting arms exports

Belgium and India have signed a contract comprising ten agreements focused primarily on weapons and defense equipment, securing major deals for Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever and Belgian arms groups. Several Belgian companies will benefit, including Exail Belgium collaborating with Larsen & Toubro on mine countermeasure vessels, Thales Belgium assembling 70mm rockets in India, and New Lachaussée supplying a €50 million ammunition production line. John Cockerill Defense seeks to provide the turret for India's Zorawar light tank, while OIP Sensor Systems will work on the Arjun tank's electro-optical systems. India is a strategic market for Belgium, boosted by the EU-India free trade agreement signed in January. Belgian exports to India totaled €4.2 billion in 2024, with imports at €6 billion, and Belgium was India's 15th largest investor in 2022-2023.