Why Belgium’s chocolate India Gate didn’t reach Delhi intact

Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever arrived in India with trade, investment and strategic cooperation on his agenda. He had also hoped to bring Prime Minister Narendra Modi something unmistakably Belgian.

The plan was a replica of India Gate made entirely from premium Belgian chocolate. The monument, however, did not survive the journey to New Delhi.

“Chocolate is excellent for diplomacy, but not excellent for diplomatic travel,” De Wever said at a joint press appearance with Modi on Thursday.

#WATCH | Delhi: Prime Minister of Belgium, Bart De Wever, says, “I had actually planned to present to Prime Minister Modi a fitting gift — a sculpture of India Gate entirely made out of the best Belgian chocolates. But unlike the real India Gate, which has stood for almost a… pic.twitter.com/tzY0lJK9GW

— ANI (@ANI) September 3, 2026

The missing gift was not merely intended as a demonstration of Belgium’s best-known culinary export. De Wever said the India Gate design had been chosen because of the history shared by the two countries.

Indian soldiers fought in Belgium and northern France during the First World War, including in the battles around Ypres. Thousands were killed, wounded or reported missing while serving on the Western Front. India’s embassy in Brussels has documented the Indian Army’s role in the fighting and the memorials that continue to preserve their names in Belgium and France.

De Wever said Belgium had not forgotten the soldiers who travelled thousands of miles to fight on Belgian soil. The planned India Gate replica was meant to connect that history with a modern partnership built around commerce, technology and security.

There may still be a second chance for the gift. A backup replica remains in Belgium, De Wever said, promising to find a way to deliver it to Modi.

The exchange provided a lighter moment during De Wever’s official visit from 2-4 September. India’s Ministry of External Affairs said before the visit that the leaders would review the full range of bilateral relations as well as regional and global developments.

Belgium is an important European trading partner for India, particularly through Antwerp’s diamond industry. The relationship is now broadening into defense, clean energy, critical minerals, semiconductors, maritime cooperation and research.