Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever paid tribute to Mahatma Gandhi at Rajghat in New Delhi on Thursday, September 3, during his ongoing official visit to India.

De Wever visited the memorial of Mahatma Gandhi and paid his respects at the national monument dedicated to the Father of the Nation. His visit to Rajghat formed part of his engagements in New Delhi during his first official visit to India since becoming Belgium's prime minister.

De Wever on Official India Visit

The Belgian Prime Minister is visiting India from September 2 to 4 at the invitation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He is accompanied by Belgium's Defence Minister Theo Francken during the three-day visit. (DD News)

The visit is aimed at further strengthening bilateral relations between India and Belgium across areas of mutual interest. De Wever is scheduled to hold talks with Prime Minister Modi in New Delhi, with bilateral relations as well as regional and global developments expected to feature in the discussions.

Tribute at Rajghat

Rajghat is the memorial marking the cremation site of Mahatma Gandhi, who was assassinated on January 30, 1948. The memorial has become an important destination for visiting foreign leaders paying tribute to Gandhi during their official visits to India.

De Wever's visit carries an additional historical connection with Gandhi. During his earlier tenure as Mayor of Antwerp, De Wever was present when a statue of Mahatma Gandhi was inaugurated near the Palace of Justice in Antwerp in October 2020. The statue was gifted to the city by the Government of India. 

India-Belgium Relations in Focus

The Belgian Prime Minister's visit comes as India and Belgium seek to broaden their partnership beyond traditional areas of engagement.

Defence cooperation is among the sectors receiving attention during the current visit. Belgian Defence Minister Theo Francken has held discussions with Defence Minister Rajnath Singh in New Delhi, with both sides reviewing defence relations and defence industrial cooperation. Multiple memoranda of understanding and contracts related to defence industrial cooperation were also signed, according to Singh. (The Tribune)

Defence and Industrial Cooperation

India has been seeking greater collaboration with European partners in defence manufacturing, technology and industrial supply chains. Belgium, meanwhile, has a strong industrial and technological base that can provide opportunities for cooperation with Indian companies.

Rajnath Singh said the discussions with Francken covered the full spectrum of defence relations and defence industrial cooperation between the two countries. He also highlighted the potential to leverage Belgian technology with Indian skills and manufacturing scale. 

Wider Strategic Engagement

The Belgian Prime Minister's visit also provides an opportunity for India and Belgium to discuss broader regional and global developments.

India and Belgium maintain relations across trade, investment, technology, defence and cooperation within the India-European Union framework. The current high-level visit is expected to provide further momentum to these areas of engagement.

First India Visit as Prime Minister

De Wever became Belgium's Prime Minister in February 2025. His September 2026 trip is his first visit to India since assuming office, according to the official visit information reported by DD News. 

His Rajghat visit on September 3 adds a ceremonial dimension to the diplomatic programme and highlights the continuing international recognition of Mahatma Gandhi's legacy.

Marco Rubio arrives in India for four-day diplomatic tour; meets Missionaries of Charity in Kolkata

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio begins visit in Kolkata, to meet PM Modi and attend Quad foreign ministers’ meeting in Delhi

Marco Rubio landed in Kolkata on Saturday morning, launching a four-day official visit to India that will include meetings with top Indian leaders and regional engagements tied to the Quad, officials and local sources said.

Initial stop in Kolkata
Rubio — accompanied by his wife Jeanette D. Rubio and U.S. Ambassador to India Sergio Gor — visited the Mother Teresa House of the Missionaries of Charity in Kolkata shortly after arrival, according to on-the-ground reports and photographs released by the Missionaries. The short visit included a tour of the facility and interactions with residents, agency staff and volunteers, sources familiar with the itinerary said.

Delhi meetings scheduled
After an overnight stay in Kolkata, Rubio is travelling to New Delhi where he is scheduled to hold a meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi later today. The White House and India’s external affairs ministry confirmed the meeting in separate briefings, describing it as part of broader efforts to deepen bilateral ties on trade, technology and regional security.

Talks with Jaishankar and embassy events
On Sunday, Rubio will meet External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar in New Delhi for talks that officials said will focus on the Indo-Pacific, supply-chain resilience and defence cooperation. The U.S. diplomat is also slated to attend the U.S. Embassy’s Independence Day celebrations in Delhi, a customary engagement during visits by senior American officials that also serves as a platform for public diplomacy.

Quad agenda in focus
A major element of Rubio’s trip is his attendance at the Quad Foreign Ministers’ Meeting on Tuesday, hosted by India in New Delhi. Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong and Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi will join the meeting at the invitation of EAM Jaishankar, the ministry said. The gathering will, according to the External Affairs Ministry, review progress on ongoing Quad projects and discuss regional and global issues of shared interest consistent with the Quad’s vision of a free and open Indo-Pacific.

Agra and Jaipur on itinerary
Between the Delhi engagements, Rubio is scheduled to visit Agra and Jaipur on Monday, sources said. Those stops reflect a common diplomatic practice of including cultural and regional site visits alongside high-level talks; they also present opportunities for bilateral outreach in states outside the national capital.

What officials say
India’s External Affairs Ministry issued a brief statement noting the Quad meeting will “review progress on ongoing projects and discuss regional and global issues,” while a U.S. State Department spokesperson framed Rubio’s trip as a “chance to advance cooperation on economic and security issues, and to strengthen people-to-people ties.” Neither side provided a full public list of discussion items, citing the usual practice of bilateral consultations on sensitive issues.

Local reaction and ground cues
At the Missionaries of Charity facility in north Kolkata, staff described the Rubio visit as low-key and focused on welfare concerns rather than political messaging. A volunteer at the house said the family spent time with residents in the late morning and observed daily routines, declining to be named. Early-morning arrivals and a modest motorcade contrasted with higher-security visits seen during other high-profile foreign delegations.

Why the trip matters
Rubio’s visit comes as Washington and New Delhi seek to broaden cooperation beyond defence—into semiconductors, clean energy and supply-chain links—while coordinating on regional diplomacy. The Quad meeting will be watched for concrete project updates and possible statements on maritime security and climate resilience, areas where the four partners have sought practical cooperation.

Next steps and outlook
After the Quad meeting, Rubio’s delegation is expected to hold follow-up sessions with Indian officials and U.S. Embassy staff before concluding the visit late Tuesday. Officials on both sides signalled that outcomes would likely be framed as incremental steps in an expanding strategic partnership rather than sweeping policy shifts.

Sunita Williams’ India Visit Strikes an Emotional and Global Chord

The Sunita Williams India visit turned deeply emotional and forward-looking on Tuesday as the Indian-American NASA astronaut addressed students and space enthusiasts at the American Center in New Delhi. Calling her trip a “homecoming,” Williams spoke candidly about her Indian roots, the future of lunar exploration, and why space must remain a shared global frontier.

Her remarks come at a time when space exploration is once again in the global spotlight, with multiple countries racing toward the Moon and private players reshaping the industry.

A New Space Race, But With Shared Responsibility

Speaking at the interactive session, the veteran NASA astronaut said the current Moon race should not be about “who gets there first,” but about building a safe, sustainable, and long-term human presence beyond Earth.

“Space exploration should be democratic,” Williams noted, stressing transparency and cooperation among nations.

She drew parallels with the Antarctica model, where countries collaborate under shared rules. According to Williams, such an approach would prevent dominance by a single nation and ensure that space benefits all of humanity.

 “I Want to Go to the Moon, But My Husband Won’t Allow It”

When asked if she would like to join a future Moon mission, Williams responded with humor that quickly won over the audience.

 “I want to go to the Moon, but my husband will not allow me,” she joked.

At the same time, she struck a reflective note, saying it was time for the next generation to step up and lead humanity’s journey deeper into space.

From an 8-Day Mission to 9 Months in Space

Williams also reflected on one of the most challenging phases of her career. A mission originally planned for eight days stretched into over nine months aboard the International Space Station (ISS) due to technical issues with Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft.

 Total time in space: 608 days

 Spacewalks completed: 9

 Time spent outside spacecraft: 62 hours

She returned to Earth on March 19, marking the end of an illustrious NASA career, though she hinted that opportunities in the private space sector remain open.

Space Debris: The Next Big Threat

Addressing a growing concern, Williams warned that space debris has become a serious challenge over the past decade. She emphasized the need for new technologies to track and manage orbital waste, calling the ISS a vital testing ground for such solutions.

A Heartfelt Moment with Kalpana Chawla’s Family

One of the most touching moments of the visit came when Williams met the family of late astronaut Kalpana Chawla. She embraced Chawla’s 90-year-old mother, Sanyogita Chawla, who described Williams as “family,” recalling her support after the 2003 Columbia disaster.

Why This Matters Now

The Sunita Williams India visit resonates beyond inspiration. As global interest in Moon missions and space commercialization grows, her message of cooperation, sustainability, and unity offers a timely reminder: space is not just a destination, but a shared responsibility for humanity’s future.