Xavier Bettel and Lex Delles on a working visit to India

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On 7 and 8 September 2026, Xavier Bettel, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, and Lex Delles, Minister for the Economy, SMEs, Energy and Tourism, undertook a working visit to India.
 

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  1. (de g. à dr.) Dr Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, ministre des Affaires extérieures ; Xavier Bettel, Vice-Premier ministre, ministre des Affaires étrangères et du Commerce extérieur, ministre de la Coopération et de l'Action humanitaire

    © MAE

  2. (de g. à dr.) Xavier Bettel, Vice-Premier ministre, ministre des Affaires étrangères et du Commerce extérieur, ministre de la Coopération et de l'Action humanitaire ; Piyush Goyal, ministre du Commerce et de l'Industrie

    © MAE

  3. (de g. à dr.) Xavier Bettel, Vice-Premier ministre, ministre des Affaires étrangères et du Commerce extérieur, ministre de la Coopération et de l'Action humanitaire ; Lex Delles, ministre de l'Économie, des PME, de l'Énergie et du Tourisme

    © MAE

  4. (de g. à dr.) Xavier Bettel, Vice-Premier ministre, ministre des Affaires étrangères et du Commerce extérieur, ministre de la Coopération et de l'Action humanitaire ; Adel Al-Saleh, directeur général de SES ; Lex Delles, ministre de l'Économie, des PME, de l'Énergie et du Tourisme

    © MAE

  5. (de g. à dr.) Lex Delles, ministre de l’'Economie, des PME, de l’Énergie et du Tourisme ; Dr Jitendra Singh, ministre de la Science et de la Technologie

    © MECO

  6. (de g. à dr.) Lex Delles, ministre de l’Économie, des PME, de l’Énergie et du Tourisme ; Bhupathiraju Srinivasa Varma, ministre d’État chargé de l’acier

    © MECO

  7. Photo de groupe

    © MECO

  8. Dr Preeti Aghalayam, professeur à l’IIT Madras, rectrice en charge des relations internationales

    © MECO



This visit aims to strengthen bilateral relations between the two countries, with the objective to open up new opportunities for Luxembourgish businesses in the Indian market.

First stop in New Delhi for official meetings

On 7 September, the delegation started off in New Delhi, where high-level meetings took place with the Indian authorities. Xavier Bettel held talks with the Minister for External Affairs, Dr Subrahmanyam Jaishankar; this was the second bilateral meeting with the Indian minister in 2026, following his visit to Luxembourg in January this year.

Discussions focused mainly on bilateral relations, including the role of the Indian diaspora, which is currently the 10th largest foreign community in Luxembourg. The ministers also discussed economic relations, with a focus on space and satellites, logistics, steel, finance and research sectors.

India’s role in foreign relations was also a key focus of the discussions, with the situation in the Middle East and Russia’s aggression against Ukraine being addressed. During the meeting, Minister Bettel thanked Minister Jaishankar for the warm welcome in India and said: “India is a key partner for Luxembourg. There are still many opportunities to deepen relations between our two countries; I see this visit as an important step in a relationship that will continue to grow stronger over the coming years.”

Minister Bettel also held talks with the Minister for Commerce and Industry, Piyush Goyal. These discussions also focused on trade and economic relations between Luxembourg and India.

For his part, Lex Delles held talks with the Minister for Science and Technology, Dr Jitendra Singh, to take stock of space cooperation between India and Luxembourg, particularly through the memorandum of understanding signed with the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). The two sides explored concrete ways to strengthen institutional and commercial collaboration in this sector. Minister Delles also met with the Minister of State for Steel, Bhupathiraju Srinivasa Varma, to discuss India’s priorities regarding green steel and the decarbonisation of steel production.

The day concluded with a business reception held at the Luxembourg Embassy. This event served to strengthen ties between business leaders from both countries and to pave the way for the forthcoming Luxembourg business mission to India.

Second stop in Chennai, with the opening of the new SES campus and a visit to IIT Madras

On 8 September, the delegation travelled to Chennai to visit the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras Research Park, a centre of technological excellence and a hotbed of innovative start-ups.

During this visit, Minister Delles had the opportunity to speak with representatives from Indian space start-ups, including Satlabs Space Systems, Susan Future Technologies, Solinas Integrity and Agnikul Cosmos. Minister Delles then met with students from IIT Madras, highlighting the potential for cooperation between Luxembourg and India in innovation and entrepreneurship, as well as the opportunities available to young talent.

The afternoon was marked by the inauguration of SES’s new campus in Chennai, a symbolic event that underlines Luxembourg’s commitment to India. In the presence of Adel Al-Saleh, CEO of SES Satellites, the ministers took part in a traditional Indian ceremony, followed by a tour of the new facilities and a meeting with the local teams. Minister Delles will continue his visit on Wednesday in Bangalore.

Press release issued by the Ministry of the Economy / Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs, Defence, Cooperation and Foreign Trade (Translated from the French Version)