India and Germany on Wednesday inked a ‘defence industrial roadmap’ for technology sharing between the two sides and will explore opportunities in emerging domains.
The roadmap is a two-way street, said sources, explaining that Indian companies bidding for contracts in the German military equipment market will need this formal government-to-government understanding to partner with companies in Germany.
Conversely, the defence industrial roadmap will also help as India and Germany are on the verge of announcing a deal to co-produce next-generation conventional submarines in India.
The document was signed in Berlin after Defence Minister Rajnath Singh met his German counterpart Boris Pistorius. Singh is on a three-day (April 21-23) visit to Germany. “Exchanged views on a wide range of issues, including deepening our defence cooperation,” Rajnath Singh posted on X.
The Ministry of Defence said the two ministers discussed a range of bilateral security and defence issues, including priority areas for co-development and co-production of defence equipment, especially in niche technologies. They also reaffirmed their commitment to enhancing military-to-military cooperation as a key pillar of the strategic partnership.
Meanwhile, the defence industrial roadmap comes at a time when German company ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems has tied up with Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDL) to build six submarines at a cost of around $8 billion. Discussions are in the final stages before a formal contract is signed.
In June last year, TKMS and MDL signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to collaborate on building these stealth submarines equipped with air-independent propulsion (AIP) technology, allowing vessels to remain submerged for longer durations.
TKMS is the global market leader for non-nuclear submarines based on AIP technology, which helps submarines stay underwater for extended periods. India had sought operational AIP technology, which would allow submarines to remain submerged for up to six days.
The TKMS-MDL MoU aims to utilise German technology and MDL’s manufacturing capabilities for building the submarines. MDL, headquartered in Mumbai, is a public sector company under the Ministry of Defence.
As per the MoU, TKMS will contribute to engineering design and provide consultancy support, while MDL will be responsible for construction and delivery. The submarines will be built in India with significant local content.
Rajnath Singh is also expected to interact with key representatives of the German defence industry to promote joint development and co-production under the Make in India initiative.
Discussions will focus on enhancing defence industrial collaboration, strengthening military-to-military engagements, and exploring opportunities in emerging domains such as cybersecurity, artificial intelligence and drones.
Earlier, the Defence Minister laid a wreath at the Bundeswehr Memorial as a mark of respect. It is the central memorial for the Bundeswehr personnel who have laid down their lives in the line of duty.
When asked whether India has any role in initiating peace amid the West Asia crisis, Rajnath Singh said, “India has tried… But everything has its time. It is possible that tomorrow, the time may come when India plays its role in this and achieves success as well. We cannot rule out this possibility.”