New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi in early March met Belgian Princess Astrid, who is leading a high-level delegation to India from March 1-8. The Prime Minister welcomed Princess Astrid to India and deeply appreciated her initiative of a big delegation of over 300 members, including prominent business leaders, government officials, and representatives from various sectors.

This is the second time Princess Astrid is spearheading an Economic Mission to India, underscoring the significance of strong economic ties between the two nations which have been on an upward trajectory.

The discussions between PM Modi and Princess Astrid spanned a wide array of areas, including trade, investment, technology, defence, innovation, clean energy, infrastructure, agriculture, skilling, academic exchanges, and cultural and people-to-people ties.

Both sides agreed to work closely to discover new pathways for cooperation across emerging and high-impact sectors, which would strengthen economic resilience, foster innovation-led growth, and deepen bilateral cooperation to benefit the people of both countries.

The visit will prioritise industries like pharmaceuticals, logistics, aerospace and renewable energy, according to an official statement. The delegation of the Belgian Princess met Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and other high-level officials.

The country currently ranks 18th among Belgium’s export destinations. Around 200 Belgian companies are operating in India. A seminar on water and waste management brought together Belgian and Indian partners together around cleantech, and the virtual inauguration of the Silox research and innovation centre was a fine example of Belgian ambitions in this area in India, according to a statement from the Belgian government.

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.

The delegation included representatives from 36 Brussels-based companies, with 61 participants, 30 percent of whom are women. On March 5, the India-Belgium Tech Forum focused on strengthening technological partnerships.