Quality-conscious South is India’s growth engine: Belgium Diplomat

“We are small with a population of 11 million, that is half the size of New Delhi, but we see a lot of similarities when it comes to south. Be it conservatism, family-oriented approach, quality focus or sticking to core competencies, these are traits that are present in Belgium, where family businesses thrive and despite being small, they are niche players,” he sought to point out.

India has become Belgium’s ninth client (Euro 8 bn) and 14th supplier (Euro 4.8 bn) as the bilateral trade engagement is on the rise. “When it comes to precious metals and stones or diamonds, we are the second exporter of goods from the European Union and the third importer. India is our 11th largest trading partner globally. Though 80 per cent of our trade is in diamonds, we would like to diversify our relationship,” Vreken said, adding his country is counted among the top innovative nations in the world.

The presence of marquee educational institutions and cutting-edge research work have earned Belgium such a tag. “In fact, if Hyderabad contributes 25 per cent of the world’s vaccines, Belgium too accounts for an equal share. Together, the two countries produce half of the global vaccines,” he said, adding a World Economic Forum report has put his country as a top pharma R&D destination.

“Our effort is to put Belgium here on the map,” Vreken said, noting that the Chennai operations would mark the completion of five years by the month-end. That only signifies the importance of the location and with the tier I and tier II cities such as Coimbatore, Tiruchy and Salem showing promising progress, the official is keen on using roadshows to promote trade.

Two of the world’s largest dredging Belgian companies – Jan De Nul Group and International Seaport Dredging, are in Chennai, making the city also the sub-continent headquarters. IT, logistics, pharma, new-age industries are the focus areas for the Consul General, who sees himself as “Tintin in south India, that provides tremendous opportunities for mutual economic gains.”

New Delhi and Mumbai are the two places that immediately come to mind for those in Europe, when it comes to trade. But Vreken believes, South is the growth engine of India. With two Silicon Valley’s, pharma and medical infrastructure like Texas, the automotive powerhouse giving Chennai the ‘Detroit of India’ mantle and the pump hub Coimbatore, proves to be a potent combination, that Belgians cannot afford to ignore when it comes to expanding the scope of business.

A symbiotic relationship between the two nations exists, reflected by the state-level visits replete with large business delegations, he said, adding the recognition of India as a big country is done through such hi-level engagements.