Location Belgium Website www.indembassy.be | Ambassador Manjeev Singh Puri | |
Address 217, Chaussee de Vleurgat, 1050 Brussels | ||
The Embassy of India, Brussels is India's embassy to Belgium and Luxembourg, and also serves as its Mission to the European Union (EU). Notably, Brussels is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of EU. India also has its honorary consuls in Antwerp (Belgium) and Capellen (Luxembourg).
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Manjeev Singh Puri, a senior Indian Foreign Service officer, is India's Ambassador to Belgium, Luxembourg and EU since January 2014. The Ambassador reports to the Indian Ministry of External Affairs in New Delhi. The Indian embassy in Brussels has a small staff strength relative to European embassies and some Asian embassies.
History of the Embassy
The Indian Embassy was set up in Brussels in 1948, thereby becoming one of its first Embassies in western Europe. The setting up of the embassy was undertaken by Ambassador Badruddin Tayyabji, an officer from the erstwhile Indian Civil Service. From 1962 onwards, the Indian Embassy in Brussels also became India's Mission to European Economic Community (which later became the European Union).
Notable events
In 2014, hundred years after the beginning of World War I, the Indian Embassy organised a function at the War Museum in Brussels to remember India's contribution in the War. Over 130,000 soldiers from India had fought under the British flag during the First World War, mainly in the Battle of Ypres in Belgium and Battle of Neuve Chapelle in France.