Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday highlighted India's 7.8 per cent economic growth in the latest quarter, saying the country's growth story was becoming a source of confidence and new opportunities for the world, as he held wide-ranging talks with Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever.
Speaking after his meeting with De Wever, Modi said India's economy had maintained its momentum despite global uncertainty, conflicts and disruptions to food, fuel and supply chains.
"Today, the world is going through a period of great upheaval. Conflicts continue to persist in many parts of the world. Whether it is food, fuel, or supply chains, every sector is being impacted by uncertainty," Modi said.
"In this challenging environment, India's economy has maintained its momentum. We recorded 7.8 per cent growth in the last quarter. Today, India's growth story is becoming a source of confidence and new opportunities for the world," he added.
The latest GDP figures showed India's economy grew 7.8 per cent in the April-June quarter of 2026-27, exceeding expectations and retaining India among the world's fastest-growing major economies.
Modi's remarks came as India and Belgium agreed to expand cooperation across trade, defence, critical minerals, clean energy and emerging technologies.
The prime minister described defence and security cooperation as a "key pillar" of bilateral ties and said the two countries had agreed to enhance military exchanges and training. Agreements between the governments and defence industries, he said, would create opportunities for defence co-development and co-production.
India and Belgium will also strengthen intelligence sharing and cooperation between their agencies to combat crime, Modi said.
Highlighting economic and technological cooperation, Modi said both sides had agreed to increase collaboration in critical minerals, including processing and recycling, while Belgium's semiconductor expertise and India's scale could complement each other.
The two countries also signed an agreement on renewable energy, which Modi said would provide fresh momentum to cooperation on clean energy and sustainability.
People-to-people ties would remain the "greatest strength" of the relationship, Modi said, adding that the two sides would strengthen links between start-ups, expand university and research cooperation and enhance capacity building in the maritime sector.
India and Belgium are also expected to conclude a Migration and Mobility Partnership Agreement to facilitate talent mobility between the two countries.
On international conflicts, Modi said India and Belgium shared a commitment to the rule of law, dialogue and diplomacy.
"Be it Ukraine or West Asia, we support all efforts for the early end of conflicts and for peace," he said.
He also said the two countries were committed to eradicating every form of terrorism.
De Wever described the conclusion of the India-European Union free trade agreement as a major milestone and said the relationship between Brussels and New Delhi was becoming broader and more strategic.
Belgium is an important economic partner for India in Europe, with bilateral trade reaching USD 13.01 billion in 2025-26. Diamond trade remains a significant component of the relationship, with Antwerp being a major global diamond hub.
The two countries have also strengthened their political engagement with the establishment of a ministerial-level strategic dialogue. The inaugural Belgium-India Strategic Dialogue was held in Brussels on July 15 and was co-chaired by External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and Belgian Deputy Prime Minister Maxime Prevot.
The latest talks come amid efforts by both countries to broaden their relationship beyond traditional economic ties into defence, technology, clean energy, critical minerals and supply-chain cooperation.
(With inputs from PTI)
