Belgium and India share centuries of connection
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From the 18th century onward, Belgium and India developed connections through trade, religion, and military service.
The Ostend Company, a Belgian chartered trading company, established posts in India starting in 1722, building settlements in Bankibazar, Bengal, and other locations to trade goods like textiles. Though the company faced competition from English and Dutch interests and was eventually shut down by Austria in 1731, it marked an early attempt at commercial ties between the two regions.
More than a century later, Belgian Jesuits renewed the relationship by founding St. Xavier’s College in Kolkata in 1859. This college became a leading educational institution, with figures like Eugène Lafont contributing to the development of scientific education and mentoring pioneers such as Jagadish Chandra Bose. In the 20th century, Indian communities established themselves in Antwerp, Belgium, making the city a major hub for the diamond trade alongside Surat, India.
Over 9,000 Indian soldiers also fought for the British army in the Flanders region of Belgium during World War I, further cementing the connection between the two countries.
