Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever used a two-day mission to India in early September 2026 to throw his weight behind the Antwerp diamond industry. He visited the Bharat Diamond Bourse and inaugurated the newly expanded Mumbai headquarters of HRD Antwerp, the diamond laboratory. He called the EU-India free trade agreement a win-win for both trading centers and pushed for the eventual elimination of all import tariffs. A move that, if realized, would be a significant boost for every Antwerp company doing business with India.
The stakes are concrete: the Antwerp-India diamond trade runs close to US$3.6 billion a year, making India one of Antwerp's top trading partners. Rough stones travel from Antwerp to India for cutting and polishing, then return to Antwerp as finished diamonds destined for the European jewelry market: a two-way flow that ties the two centers together across the full value chain.
AWDC works to keep that relationship moving: facilitating visas for Indian businesspeople, backing the recognition of diamond cutters and sorters as a shortage occupation in Belgium, and securing preferential import/export rates for companies handling large volumes of rough and polished stones. De Wever's visit underscored what's already a deep partnership, and one AWDC sees real room to grow further.
