29-Jun-2023: 2nd meeting of India-Tanzania Joint Defence Cooperation Committee held in Arusha
The second edition of Joint Defence Cooperation Committee (JDCC) meeting between India and Tanzania was held in Arusha on June 28 & 29, 2023. The Indian delegation, led by Joint Secretary Shri Amitabh Prasad, included senior officials from Ministry of Defence and the Armed Forces. The High Commissioner of India to Tanzania Shri Binay S Pradhan also attended the meeting.
During the meeting, the two sides discussed a wide range of opportunities for collaboration with a view to enhancing security in the Indian Ocean Region. The Indian delegation highlighted the growing prowess of the Indian Defence manufacturing to export to friendly countries. A five-year roadmap for defence cooperation was also agreed to between the two sides, which covers initiatives ranging from customised training & capacity building to maritime cooperation, infrastructure building and collaboration in defence equipment and technology.
Representatives from Defence PSUs also accompanied the Indian delegation. They held extensive meetings with the stakeholders from the Tanzanian Forces on the sidelines of the JDCC meeting.
India shares close, warm and friendly relations with Tanzania which is bolstered by robust capacity building and avenues for development partnership. The visit of the Indian delegation for the JDCC meeting is expected to further strengthen defence relations with Tanzania.
22-Jun-2023: India-United States Defence Acceleration Ecosystem (INDUS X) launched in Washington DC, U.S.
India-United States Defence Acceleration Ecosystem (INDUS X) was launched at an event in Washington DC, USA on 21 June 2023. The INDUS X event was co-organised by Innovations for Defence Excellence (iDEX), Ministry of Defence, and US Department of Defence (DoD) and hosted by US-India Business Council (USIBC).
Shri Anurag Bajpai, Joint Secretary (Defence Industries Promotion), MoD, led the Indian delegation in the two-day INDUS-X event on 20-21 June 2023. A reception for Indian and US Government representatives, defence start-ups, think tanks, incubators, investors, industries and other stakeholders was organised on 20 June 2023. Amb. Eric Garcetti, the US Ambassador to India, gave the keynote address.
Mr. Frank Kendall, US Secretary of the Air Force, gave the opening keynote address on 21 June at the INDUS-X event. He stated that the India-US relationship is growing exponentially. He emphasised that there is enormous potential for startups of both nations to collaborate in deeptech innovations, especially in Space and Artificial Intelligence (AI) domain.
Shri Anurag Bajpai, in his welcome remarks on “Investing in the Future of US-Indian Defence relations”, hailed the launch of iCET as a landmark event in India-US relationship. He said this was an opportune moment for this event, as the leaders of the two largest and oldest democracies of the world meet in Washington.
The Joint Secretary stressed on the co-development and co-production of advanced technologies by Indian and US start-ups. He further asked the participants to develop mechanisms for future collaboration across industries, academia, and investors. The Joint Secretary also gave an overview of the Make in India initiative, focusing on Aatmanirbhar Bharat and the philosophy of “Make in India, for the world”.
The event also saw a first-of-its-kind joint showcasing of innovative technologies by Indian and US start-ups. 15 Indian start-ups and 10 US start-ups, from multiple domains of maritime, AI, autonomous systems, and space, showcased their technologies to Indian and US stakeholders. The exhibition was visited by senior US officials, including Congressman Ro Khanna, who serves on the House Armed Services Committee as ranking member of the Subcommittee on Cyber, Innovative Technologies and Information Systems (CITI) and as co-chair of the Congressional Caucus on India and Indian Americans, and by Radha Iyengar Plumb, Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment, US DoD.
Two panel discussions and two roundtables were held, focusing on deepening collaborations across various domains, including government, academia, and industry especially startups. Discussion on export control regulations were also held.
An INDUS X factsheet was released at the event.
19-Jun-2023: Raksha Mantri & Minister of National Defence of Vietnam hold talks in New Delhi to carry forward bilateral defence cooperation
Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh held talks with Minister of National Defence of Vietnam General Phan Van Gang in New Delhi on June 19, 2023. Progress on various bilateral defence cooperation initiatives was reviewed during the meeting, with both sides expressing satisfaction at the ongoing engagements.
Both Ministers identified means to enhance existing areas of collaboration, especially in the field of defence industry cooperation, maritime security and multinational cooperation. The Raksha Mantri also announced the gifting of indigenously-built in-service Missile Corvette INS Kirpan which will be a milestone in enhancing the capabilities of Vietnam People’s Navy.