NEW DELHI: India and Germany on Wednesday moved to align big-ticket defence projects with a co-development and co-production framework, with Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and his counterpart Boris Pistorius agreeing on a roadmap to deepen industrial collaboration including in the field of niche military technologies.
“The Defence Industrial Cooperation Roadmap and Implementing Arrangement for Cooperation in UN Peacekeeping Training were inked and exchanged during the meeting,” the defence ministry said, outlining a structured framework for bilateral defence collaboration. "The two Ministers discussed a range of bilateral security and defence issues, including priority areas for co-development & co-production of defence equipment, especially in the field of niche technologies,” the statement added.
The roadmap gains immediate relevance with major programmes in play. Germany’s ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems, in partnership with Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited, has been selected for India’s Project-75I submarine programme, under which six next-generation conventional submarines are to be built in India. The nearly Rs. 1 lakh crore project now awaits final clearance from the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS).
Interestingly, Singh also travelled from Munich to Berlin on Tuesday aboard a German Air Force Airbus A400M Atlas, a contender for the Indian Air Force’s Medium Transport Aircraft programme, another project expected to involve domestic manufacturing.
Describing the visit as “a symbol of deep friendship, synergy and trust”, Singh said ties have gained momentum in recent years. He also linked the engagement to the broader European Union framework, calling the “recent India-EU Security & Defence Partnership” a significant step in deepening engagement.
Finalised earlier this year, the pact with the EU expands cooperation into maritime security, cyber defence, counterterrorism and defence industry linkages, while creating mechanisms for structured security consultations. The push also comes alongside India’s parallel defence engagement with key European partners, particularly France, in areas such as jet engine development and precision munitions.