What could India’s maximum city, Mumbai, share in common with Antwerp, thousands of miles away in Belgium? Quite a lot, according to Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever, from their port-city identities to their role as economic engines of their countries.
Speaking at the Bharat Diamond Bourse in Mumbai on Friday, September 4, De Wever drew a striking parallel between the two cities, saying people from Antwerp could relate to Mumbai’s energy and economic pull.
“Anyone from Antwerp feels the pull of a city like Mumbai,” he said.
De Wever, who was Antwerp’s mayor for 12 years before becoming Belgium’s prime minister, said he saw a similar dynamic between Mumbai and Delhi to the one between Antwerp and Brussels.
“In Antwerp, we have a saying about how our port city, the economic engine of our country, compares with Brussels,” he said, describing Antwerp as “the city where money is made” and Brussels as “the city where the money is spent”.
His remarks came a day after he met Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi and discussed deepening ties in areas of defence and clean energy.
Strengthening India-Belgium ties
The two countries signed a defence framework agreement and 10 industry-to-industry agreements aimed at expanding military and industrial cooperation, including joint manufacturing of defence equipment in India.
The agreements followed talks between Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Belgian Defence Minister Theo Francken, who reviewed defence and industrial cooperation and agreed to step up training and capacity-building efforts.
The two sides also discussed maritime security in the Indo-Pacific, while India highlighted potential cooperation in cybersecurity, artificial intelligence-enabled unmanned systems, underwater vehicles and complex weapon systems.
Belgium, meanwhile, stressed the importance of securing key maritime trade routes. “For an open trading nation like Belgium, the security of these sea lanes is vital,” Francken said.
The defence push came ahead of talks between De Wever and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who said the partnership had expanded into strategic areas including defence and clean energy.
Modi said India and Belgium were working together on modern defence equipment such as the Zorawar tank, while also highlighting a major green ammonia project being developed in Kakinada, Andhra Pradesh.
“The scope of our cooperation has expanded beyond traditional sectors to reach strategic areas such as defence and clean energy,” Modi said.
Bilateral trade between India and Belgium crossed $13 billion in 2025-26.