Indian delegation visits Israeli defence firms to boost cooperation, promote Atmanirbhar Bharat

Tel Aviv, Nov 6 (IANS) In a bid to boost defence cooperation between India and Israel, an Indian delegation led by Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh visited leading Israeli defence companies exploring opportunities for co-production and co-development to deepen bilateral ties and promote the Atmanirbhar Bharat initiative.

“Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh, leading the Indian delegation, visited key Israeli defence companies — Elbit Systems, Rafael Advanced Defence Systems, and Israel Aerospace Industries— to explore avenues for co-production and co-development, aimed at strengthening existing partnerships and advancing the Atmanirbhar Bharat initiative,” Spokesperson of Indian Defence Ministry posted on X on Thursday.

Singh also called on Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz and briefed him on the key outcomes of the Joint Working Group (JWG) meeting, aimed at further strengthening the robust and enduring defence cooperation between India and Israel.

Earlier on Tuesday, India and Israel deepened their strategic defence partnership when a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed during the 17th meeting of the JWG on defence cooperation held in Tel Aviv.

The meeting was co-chaired by Defence Secretary Singh and Major General (Res) Amir Baram, Director General of Israel's Ministry of Defence.

The MoU encompasses a broad-based framework to expand cooperation in areas of strategic dialogue, joint training, defence industrial cooperation, and advanced technologies such as Artificial Intelligence, Cyber Security, and Research and Development, thus enabling the sharing of advanced defence technologies and promoting co-development and co-production projects.

The development underscored the growing strategic partnership between India and Israel, with both countries seeking to deepen their cooperation in defence and security areas.

Both sides reviewed ongoing defence cooperation and recognised the mutual benefits derived from shared expertise. The discussions also focused on the expansion of future collaboration in technological innovation and operational capability.

The two sides further reaffirmed their commitment to counterterrorism and to shared security challenges.

The defence ties between India and Israel are based on mutual trust and converging strategic interests, and the latest agreement is likely to further strengthen bilateral cooperation in the evolving global security landscape.

--IANS

int/scor/rs