The conversation at the India–Belgium engagement is now veering toward ports, logistics, air connectivity, and resilient supply chains as well as diversified value chains, as both of these countries are looking for further trade engagement between them.
The Mumbai dialogue went on to follow with the 16th India-EU Summit that was held in New Delhi in January 2026, where India and the EU agreed on the conclusion of their negotiations on the India-EU Free Trade Agreement.
Speaking during an official visit to Mumbai as a part of the India–Belgium high-level delegation on the India–EU Free Trade Agreement, Mr. Bart De Wever, the Prime Minister of Belgium, spoke regarding strong logistics infrastructure and diverse supply chains that will be crucial to translate the India–European Union Free Trade Agreement into real-time cargo and trade growth.
High-quality logistics connections are necessary to turn the possibilities created by the India–EU FTA into a reality, said Mr. De Wever, who also described Port of Antwerp-Bruges as a critical logistics link between India and Europe.
The Union Minister of India, Mr. Piyush Goyal, said Belgium was at the gateway of the opportunity created by the India-EU FTA and that the Port of Antwerp-Bruges was the entryway by which the promise of the FTA would actually arrive in Europe or be dispatched to India.
He highlighted the multi-modal network of Antwerp-Bruges, with its maritime facilities and road, rail, and inland-waterway connections, as a key distribution path for Indian cargo heading further into European markets.
FTA is not a tariff story, Goyal said, reflecting on the effective linkage between trade liberalization and the physical infrastructure needed to transport additional cargo, also pointing to compromised supply chains within the framework of the strategic rationale. He pointed to opportunities in potato processing and cold chains, and broader food processing with technology and sustainable agri-value chains can serve the whole world by means of Belgium and India, he said.
Mr. Devendra Fadnavis, the Maharashtra Chief Minister, also asked for Belgium’s assistance to develop Maharashtra as a global center for logistics, trade, and investment. Fadnavis utilized the India–Belgium dialogue to project the state as a major logistics and industrial ally in the developing India–EU trade landscape.
He pointed to the mutually beneficial assets of the two sides – the established capabilities of Belgium in ports and logistics on one side and the growing industrial and infrastructure base of Maharashtra on the other. Fadnavis sought greater Belgian involvement in a variety of industries, with port-led development and logistics being a key component of the suggested cooperation. He also called for greater engagement between the maritime ecosystem of Maharashtra and the Port of Antwerp-Bruges, especially in fields like logistics technology, port digitalization, green shipping, hydrogen, and skills.
The Chief Minister proposed a wider Mumbai-Antwerp Economic Partnership, which goes beyond the traditional diamond link between Mumbai and Antwerp, which could bring together government agencies, port authorities, and businesses to broaden cooperation when it comes to logistics, innovation, finance, and technology as well as sustainability.
It is well to be noted that the logistics opportunity is indeed, as a matter of fact, viewed as important for both countries, and the Port of Antwerp-Bruges itself confirms that it processed 6.3 million tonnes of India-linked cargo in 2025 and that India was its third-largest trade partner when it came to breakbulk and seventh largest as far as containers were concerned.
In this context, the India–EU FTA is anticipated to bring possibilities for reactivated cargo growth, with reduced trade barriers and streamlined customs procedures, which may facilitate higher flows of goods between both India and Europe. Mr. De Wever said the FTA would wipe out or cut tariffs on over 95% of Indian and European goods exports, which could create new cargo opportunities when it comes to textiles, machinery, and automotive components, among other sectors. The port is establishing itself as a major gateway for increasing cargo flows between India and Europe as far as the Indian exporters are concerned, according to Port of Antwerp-Bruges.
Mr. De Wever put logistics at the heart of the post-FTA relationship, positioning Belgium and especially the Port of Antwerp-Bruges as a strategic gateway for Indian cargo into the European market.
He said that Belgium is opting for trustworthy trading partners and trade relations that expand its supply chains as protectionist policies and economic dependencies are increasing worldwide. He also added that for Antwerp being an inland gateway, rather than a European seaport, two-thirds of the European purchasing power is in the trucking range of Antwerp.
The port of Antwerp is the first port in the world to ensure an unbroken cold chain, he said, speaking about cold chain and pharmaceutical logistics.
He noted that almost all Indian shrimp going to Northwest Europe comes via the port of Antwerp. The FTA is expected to expand partnerships beyond just cargo handling. The dialogue also pointed to maritime services, port infrastructure, dredging services, and green hydrogen as potential fields for cooperation, opening up possibilities for future energy-related cargo flows between both India and Belgium.
So the India–EU FTA means much more than tariff liberalization for the logistics industry. Higher trade volumes will call for adequate port capacity, multi-modal connectivity, customs productivity, cold-chain infrastructure, and maritime services as well as sturdy India-Europe supply chains. As India-EU trade is already close to $140 billion and India and Belgium look to double bilateral trade in the next five years, efficient cargo movement could further become more crucial in converting the market-access gains of the FTA to real trade flows. The engagement will also probably transition from discussion about policy to commercial agreements. During the dialogue in Mumbai, the Belgian prime minister announced that a delegation from the Antwerp-Bruges port community, comprising terminal operators as well as companies from the logistics, chemicals, and energy sectors, will travel to India in February 2027.
