India and Belgium Boost Defence Collaboration with Joint Production of Light Tanks, Drones and Vessels

In a modest yet upbeat press briefing, Belgian Defence Minister Theo Francken told reporters that India and Belgium are stepping up their defence partnership. The focus, he said, will be on co‑producing light tanks designed for mountainous terrain, mine‑countermeasure vessels for the Indian Navy, a range of drones and advanced sensor systems.

“We already have a handful of projects running – light tanks for the hills, MCM vessels, drones, sensors, even handguns and ammunition,” Francken explained, adding a smile that hinted at the optimism behind the numbers. “It’s a win‑win. Belgian expertise meets Indian manufacturing scale.”

The remarks came on the heels of an India‑Belgium Defence CEOs Roundtable and a series of B2B meetings. India’s Minister of State for Defence, Sanjay Seth, urged Belgian firms to marry their high‑tech know‑how with India’s vast production capacity, calling for joint development of niche, high‑value defence products.

Representatives from the Confederation of Indian Industry, the Society of Indian Defence Manufacturers and several Belgian defence companies were in the room. They walked away with a stack of MoUs – from Larsen & Toubro teaming up with Exail Robotics on robotics, to Kalyani Strategic Systems linking with FN Herstal for small‑arms, and Thales Belgium partnering with its Indian counterpart on complex weapon systems.

Both sides see the collaboration as part of a broader strategic shift. Belgium, as a member of the EU, is keen to deepen maritime security and aerospace links with India, while New Delhi pushes its “Aatmanirbhar Bharat” and “Make‑in‑India” agendas, aiming to cut import dependence and boost indigenous capability.

Seth highlighted that India now hosts more than 16,000 MSMEs in the defence sector, alongside a growing private‑sector base and traditional public‑sector units. He pointed to innovation platforms like iDEX and ADITI that are pulling start‑ups into AI, quantum tech, anti‑drone systems and even adaptive camouflage – fertile ground for joint R&D.

Foreign‑direct investment rules have also been loosened, allowing up to 74 % foreign ownership under the automatic route and even 100 % through a government route for strategic technologies. This regulatory flexibility, combined with complementary expertise, is expected to accelerate co‑development projects across land, sea and air domains.

In short, the India‑Belgium defence dialogue is moving from talks to tangible projects, with the hope that shared factories, joint design teams and cross‑border supply chains will soon materialise on both sides of the continent.