Defence Secy Rajesh Kumar Singh concludes UK visit, calls for deeper bilateral cooperation

London, April 18: Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh concluded his visit to the United Kingdom with a keynote address at the India-UK Defence Industry Roundtable, where he emphasised the importance of deepening bilateral cooperation. Singh also urged joint innovation in niche defence technologies to modernise armed forces in both nations, according to the Ministry of Defence.

"Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh concluded his UK visit with a keynote at the India-UK Defence Industry Roundtable. He emphasised deepening bilateral cooperation, urging joint innovation in niche defence technologies to modernise armed forces in both nations," the Ministry of Defence said in a post on X on Thursday.

During the visit, Singh also co-chaired the 24th India-UK Defence Consultative Group Meet with his UK counterpart, David Williams, in London. The discussions focused on strengthening military cooperation between India and the UK, as well as advancing defence capability collaboration.

David Williams welcomed Rajesh Kumar Singh to London for the 24th UK-India Defence Consultative Group. Commodore Chris Saunders, the Defence Advisor at the UK High Commission in India, shared the details regarding the meeting on X.

In a post on X, Commodore Saunders stated, "@DefenceHQ Permanent Secretary, David Williams CB, welcomed Indian Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh to London for the 24th UK-India Defence Consultative Group. Discussions focused on strengthening military cooperation and advancing defence capability collaboration."

According to the Ministry of Defence, the discussions focused on enhancing collaboration within the defence industry and boosting the 'Make in India' initiative.

In a post on X, the Directorate of Public Relations, Ministry of Defence, stated, "Defence Secy Shri Rajesh Kumar Singh co-chaired the 24th India-UK Defence Consultative Group meet with his UK counterpart David Williams in London. Both sides reviewed defence ties, focusing on enhancing defence industry collaboration & boosting the #MakeInIndia initiative, especially in niche tech."

Earlier on April 9, the 13th Ministerial meeting of the India-UK Economic and Financial Dialogue (13th EFD) was held in London. The Indian delegation, led by Union Minister for Finance and Corporate Affairs Nirmala Sitharaman, held high-level discussions with the UK delegation led by the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rachel Reeves. During the 13th EFD, the UK announced 400 million euros in export and investment deals with India.

Reader Comments

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Priya K.

This is such a positive development! 🇮🇳🤝🇬🇧 India and UK collaborating on defence tech could be game-changing. The Make in India initiative getting international support is exactly what we need right now.

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Amit S.

While I appreciate the diplomatic efforts, I hope we're not just importing technology but actually developing indigenous capabilities. The real test will be seeing tangible results from these discussions in the next 2-3 years.

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Rahul M.

The UK announced 400 million euros in deals? That's huge! Our defence sector is really gaining momentum internationally. Kudos to the team negotiating these partnerships.

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Sunita P.

Interesting to see how defence partnerships are evolving beyond just equipment purchases to actual joint innovation. Hope this leads to more high-tech jobs in India too!

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Vikram J.

The article mentions "niche technologies" but doesn't specify which areas. Would be great to get more details about what kind of tech we're talking about here - AI, drones, cybersecurity?

We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.