Belgian Economic Mission to India – chapter New Delhi

From 1 to 8 March, Her Royal Highness Princess Astrid of Belgium will lead an economic mission to India as the representative of His Majesty the King. A large delegation from various sectors and from the three regions will travel to New Delhi and Mumbai to strengthen Belgium's image as an attractive partner and gateway to the European market.

The first stop is New Delhi, the capital of India.
 

Sunday 2 March

The mission starts on Sunday with a meeting with the EU ambassador to India. Following the visit of the College of European Commissioners on 27 and 28 February, this meeting offers an excellent opportunity to debrief the Belgian official delegation.

On Sunday afternoon, the delegation will make a site visit to the Agristo Masa factory, the first production facility of the Belgian company Agristo outside of Europe, for the official start of the construction of a new Belgian fry production line. The current facility uses a biomass boiler that was made and installed by the Belgian company Vyncke. The Belgian character is further reinforced by the recent delivery of a potato harvester from AVR.

In the evening, an information session is organised for all participants at the ambassador's residence.
 

Monday 3 March

After an event on doing business in India, the first of the selected priority sectors will be discussed on Monday: climate and renewable energy. A seminar on water and waste management will bring Belgian and Indian partners together around cleantech, and the virtual inauguration of the Silox research and innovation centre is a fine example of Belgian ambitions in this area in India.

The panel debate Invest in her: Empowering women to lead deals with the systemic barriers that prevent women from accessing leadership positions, with the aim of making a concrete contribution to a dialogue on the economic empowerment of women.

The programme also includes several official bilateral meetings: with Rajnath Singh, the Indian Minister of Defence, and with Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, the Minister of Foreign Affairs.

The day ends with a major networking event: the traditional official reception, at the ambassador's residence, with hundreds of Belgian and Indian guests.
 

Tuesday 4 March

On the agenda for Tuesday is a round-table discussion on strengthening the ties between Belgium and India in the area of defence. The main goal of this conference is to explore new business opportunities that have arisen due to recent reforms in India's procurement policy and to increase the credibility and visibility of Belgian companies among Indian authorities and potential partners. The event aims to encourage sustainable and mutually beneficial partnerships in the defence sector.

Like defence, the construction sector is also one of the priority sectors of this economic mission. A seminar on this topic will examine future market trends and business opportunities, contemporary practices and challenges. Belgian and Indian companies and organisations will exchange best practices and discuss existing technologies and innovations.

Official meetings are also scheduled for Tuesday: first with Minister of Trade and Industry Piyush Goyal and then with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

A ‘power lunch’ organised by the Federation of Belgian Enterprises and the Confederation of Indian Industries will bring together a select group of CEOs from both sides to discuss actions and priorities for a number of specific themes. This networking event will be followed by a ceremony at which various contracts will be signed: the concretisation of the growing economic ties between our countries.

The New Delhi part of the mission will conclude with an event at the Prime Ministers Museum & Library that will highlight Belgian-Indian cooperation in the field of astronomy and astrophysics, another priority sector of the mission, with the participation of scientists, academics and business people.

In the evening, the delegation leaves for Mumbai, and a press release will follow about this second part of the Belgian economic mission to India.