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The two companies exchanged an agreement in New Delhi on September 3, 2026, during the India-Belgium Defence CEOs Roundtable and B2B meetings held alongside Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever’s visit to India. The Ministry of Defence listed the India Optel–OIP pact among several industrial agreements intended to combine Belgian defence technology with Indian manufacturing capacity.
A fresh agreement involving Larsen & Toubro, Exail Robotics SAS of France and Exail Robotics in Belgium was exchanged in New Delhi on September 3, 2026, during the India-Belgium Defence CEOs Roundtable. The development follows an earlier strategic collaboration under which L&T and Exail are preparing an advanced Unmanned Mine Countermeasures suite for the Indian Navy’s planned Mine Counter Measure Vessel programme.
Kalyani Strategic Systems Limited, or KSSL, is the wholly owned defence subsidiary of Bharat Forge and now leads the Kalyani Group’s defence business. FN Herstal is part of Belgium’s FN Browning Group and brings more than 135 years of experience in small arms and integrated weapon systems.
During the visit, Larsen & Toubro and John Cockerill Defense were reported to have concluded an agreement connected with the supply of turrets for the Zorawar programme. L&T is the principal industry partner working with the Defence Research and Development Organisation on the Indian Light Tank.
The decision was announced during Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever’s visit to India from September 2–4, 2026, during which defence emerged as one of the major pillars of the increasingly broad India-Belgium strategic partnership. Belgian Defence and Foreign Trade Minister Theo Francken accompanied the Prime Minister as the two countries pursued deeper military, technological and industrial cooperation.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh released the ‘RAKSHA’ document on Defence Diplomacy in New Delhi on September 3, setting out India’s strategic roadmap and vision for global defence partnerships over the next ten years. The Ministry of Defence describes the framework as a shift towards more proactive strategic engagement in which India’s national-security objectives will increasingly be supported by international defence cooperation.
BEL Chairman and Managing Director Manoj Jain presented the cheque, covering interim and final dividend attributable to the government’s equity holding, during the annual performance review of Defence Public Sector Undertakings chaired by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh in New Delhi on September 1, 2026. BEL subsequently announced the development on September 2.
KSSL, the wholly owned defence subsidiary of Bharat Forge, and Thales signed the Strategic Alliance Agreement in New Delhi on September 3, 2026, during the high-level Belgian visit to India. The arrangement creates a framework for technology transfer, local production and distribution of 2.75-inch, or 70-mm, rocket systems and associated equipment.
GE Aerospace confirmed the shipment on September 3, stating that three F404-IN20 engines were dispatched to HAL during August. The deliveries followed the seventh engine supplied in July and represent a noticeable acceleration compared with the slower supply rate that had affected the programme earlier.
The Ministry of Defence opened online exhibitor registration and booking of exhibition space on September 3, 2026, through the dedicated Aero India portal. The digital platform is intended to handle exhibitor participation, space allocation and other services connected with the event.
