Tag: Defence

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Britain to explore investment in Indian defence sector

On the occasion, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath assured the UK delegation of safety of their investments and also…reports Asian Lite News

Britain’s Defence Procurement Minister Alex Chalk said his government would be exploring investment opportunities in the medical, defence and aerospace sectors of Uttar Pradesh.

Chalk was speaking during a partner country session held on the last day of the Global Investors Summit in Lucknow.

Addressing the audience, Chalk said, “Uttar Pradesh is playing a large scale role in meeting India’s defense needs under the Make in India campaign and our contribution in this role will be in many areas including investment as well as manufacturing of strategic and tactical weaponry. With this, Uttar Pradesh will be able to meet India’s defence needs and establish itself globally in terms of exports.”

Chalk added that an “able” Uttar Pradesh was important “not only for the Asia-Pacific region, but also for the whole world” and it is for this reason that the world was looking forward to “witness the realisation of the vision of Uttar Pradesh’s golden future”.

“Let comprehensive strategic partnership between UP and the UK be engines of each other’s growth,” he said.

“To demonstrate our ambition and commitment, I am joined by more than 30 British business firms that are partnering with their Indian counterparts to deepen and intensify our relationship.” The UK Minister also said that these firms were signing MoUs and committing an investment of 165 million pounds in Uttar Pradesh and generating jobs in the state.

On the occasion, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath assured the UK delegation of safety of their investments and also.

Adityanath said that relations between India and the UK were based on a strong and historic background and Prime Minister Narendra Modi has taken the bilateral relations of the two countries to a new height. “Now, several investors associated with the UK are not only participating in GIS-2023 but also the UK’s defence procurement minister is here with his delegation to take forward these possibilities in UP,” CM said.

The chief minister said UP has its own land bank which can pave the way for opportunities of industrial investment in 25 different sectors. He added that with the policies related to these 25 sectors, the Uttar Pradesh government guarantees every investor a safe investment in the state. “The state government was committed to ensure that these investments prove fruitful for the investors as well as for youths and people of UP.”

During the session, six UK firms signed MoUs with the UP government for investment in the state.

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-Top News India News UAE News

India-France-UAE trilateral gains steam

India, France, UAE discuss cooperation in trilateral framework, to promote compatibility and co-production in defence sector

Noting that defence is an area of close cooperation, Foreign Ministers of India, France and UAE have decided that efforts will be undertaken to further promote compatibility, joint development and co-production while seeking out avenues for further collaboration and training defence forces of the three countries.

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, France Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Foreign Minister Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan held a phone call in which they discussed collaboration in areas such as education, business, maritime and green energy. “Discussed convergences and further collaboration in education, business, maritime, culture and green energy for a stable peaceful and prosperous Indo-Pacific,” Jaishankar said in a tweet.

The three foreign ministers had met for the first time in a trilateral format in September last year on the margins of the United Nations General Assembly in New York.

They agreed to establish a formal trilateral cooperation initiative, with the aim of expanding cooperation in various fields of mutual interest in acknowledgement of their shared desire to promote international stability and prosperity, and to further build upon the constructive and collaborative ties that exist between the three countries.

It is in this context that a phone call between the three Ministers was held on Saturday to adopt a roadmap for the implementation of this initiative.

During the phone call, the three sides agreed that the trilateral initiative will serve as a forum to promote the design and execution of cooperation projects in the fields of energy, with a focus on solar and nuclear energy, as well as in the fight against climate change and the protection of biodiversity, particularly in the Indian Ocean region, a joint statement said.

For this purpose, the three countries will explore the possibility of working with the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) to pursue concrete, actionable projects on clean energy, the environment, and biodiversity, a statement said.

It said the trilateral initiative will serve as a platform to expand cooperation between the three countries’ development agencies on sustainable projects.

The three countries agreed that they will seek to ensure greater alignment of their respective economic, technological, and social policies with the objectives of the Paris Agreement.

“In support of these endeavours, a range of trilateral events will be organized in the framework of the Indian Presidency of the G20 and the UAE’s hosting of COP-28 in 2023, respectively,” the statement said.

The three countries also agreed to expand their cooperation through initiatives such as the Mangrove Alliance for Climate led by the UAE and the Indo-Pacific Parks Partnership led by India and France.

It was agreed that the three countries should seek to focus on key issues such as single-use plastic pollution, desertification, and food security in the context of the International Year of Millets-2023. The three sides also underlined their keen desire to cooperate in the field of the circular economy under the aegis of India’s Mission LiFE.

“It was acknowledged that defence is an area of close cooperation between the three countries. Therefore, efforts will be undertaken to further promote compatibility, and joint development and co-production, whilst seeking out avenues for further collaboration and training between the three countries’ defence forces,” the statement said.

The three countries will seek to strengthen exchanges of views on emerging threats from infectious diseases, as well as on measures to fight against future pandemics.

“In this regard, cooperation in multilateral organizations such as World Health Organization (WHO), Gavi-the Vaccine Alliance, the Global Fund, and Unitaid will be encouraged,” the statement said.

The three countries will also attempt to identify tangible cooperation on implementing the “One Health” approach, and support the development of local capacities in biomedical innovation and production within developing countries.

As countries at the very forefront of technological innovation, the development of trilateral cooperation between relevant academic and research institutions and efforts to promote co-innovation projects, technology transfer, and entrepreneurship will be encouraged, the statement said.

“In this context, trilateral conferences and meetings on the sidelines of high-level technology events such as Vivatech, Bengaluru Tech Summit, and GITEX will be arranged to support such cooperation,” it added.

The statement said that in recognition of the critical role social and human bonds play in their constructive partnership, France, India, and the UAE will ensure that this trilateral initiative will be leveraged as a platform to promote cultural cooperation, through a range of joint projects, including heritage promotion and protection. (ANI)

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Ukrainian Defence minister meets Macron on defence needs

French President Emmanuel Macron.(photo:Twitter/@EmmanuelMacron)

The Defence Minister further said that Ukraine’s commanders would seek to “stabilise the front and prepare for a counter-offensive”…reports Asian Lite News

Ukrainian Defence Minister Oleksii Reznikov has said that he met French President Emmanuel Macron to discuss Ukraine’s defence needs.

Describing the conversation as “frank and productive,” he tweeted on Wednesday that the urgent operational needs of the Ukrainian Army were on the agenda.

Reznikov, who arrived in France on Tuesday for a two-day visit, thanked Macron and the French people for their support for Ukraine.

In a separate tweet, the Minister said he signed a memorandum with French Defence Minister Sebastien Lecornu and the Thales Group on the supply of MG-200 radars for Ukrainian air defenders.

The radars, Reznikov added, will help the Ukrainian military to spot enemy drones and missiles, including ballistic missiles.

Russia planning offensive on Feb 24

Reznikov said that Russia is planning a major new offensive against the war-torn nation on February 24 to mark the first anniversary of Moscow’s ongoing invasion of Kiev.

The Minister made the remarks on Wednesday during a trip to France where he struck a deal to purchase additional MG-200 air defence radars, which he said would “significantly increase the capacity of the armed forces to detect air targets, including winged and ballistic missiles, and drones of various types”, the BBC reported.

Speaking to the French BFM network, Reznikov claimed that Moscow had mobilised some 500,000 troops for the potential offensive but also suggested that the true figure recruited and deployed to Ukraine could be far higher.

“Officially they announced 300,000 but when we see the troops at the borders, according to our assessments it is much more,” the BBC quoted the Minister as saying to BFM.

The Defence Minister further said that Ukraine’s commanders would seek to “stabilise the front and prepare for a counter-offensive”.

“I have faith that the year 2023 can be the year of military victory,” he said, adding that Ukraine’s forces “cannot lose the initiative” they have achieved in recent months.

Reznikov’s comments come as Ukrainian intelligence alleged that Russian President Vladimir Putin has ordered his forces to seize Ukraine’s Donbas region before the end of spring.

Meanwhile, Ukraine’s Deputy Defence Minister Hanna Malyar said on Wednesday that intense fighting was continuing in Donbas, where Russian forces and Wagner Group mercenaries have been trying to take the town of Bakhmut, the BBC reported.

She added that Moscow’s troops were also trying to seize Lyman — the former Russian logistics hub that Ukrainian troops retook in October 2022.

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India News

Defence Ministry clears Rs 85,000 cr for Armed forces

Approvals for procurement of Naval Anti-Ship Missiles, Multi-Purpose Vessels and High Endurance Autonomous Vehicles will further enhance maritime strength giving a boost to the Indian Navy’s capabilities…reports Asian Lite News

The Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) of the defence ministry on Thursday accorded the approval for Acceptance of Necessity (AoN) for 24 Capital Acquisition Proposals.

According to Defence officials, the proposals include six for the Indian Army, six for the Indian Air Force, 10 for the Indian Navy and two for the Indian Coast Guard for a total value of Rs 84,328 crore. It is pertinent to mention that 21 proposals, worth Rs 82,127 crore (97.4 per cent), are approved for procurement from indigenous sources. This unprecedented initiative of DAC will not only modernise the Armed Forces but also provide a substantial boost to the defence industry to achieve the goal of ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’.

The AoNs accorded will equip the Indian Army with platforms and equipment such as Futuristic Infantry Combat Vehicles, Light Tanks and Mounted Gun Systems providing a quantum jump to the Indian Army’s operational preparedness. Proposals approved also include the procurement of Ballistic Helmets, with enhanced protection levels, for our soldiers, stated an official statement from Defence Ministry.

Approvals for procurement of Naval Anti-Ship Missiles, Multi-Purpose Vessels and High Endurance Autonomous Vehicles will further enhance maritime strength giving a boost to the Indian Navy’s capabilities.

Indian Air Force will be further strengthened with enhanced lethal capabilities by the induction of a new range of missile systems, Long Range Guided Bombs, Range Augmentation Kit for conventional bombs and advanced surveillance systems.

The procurement of Next Generation Offshore Patrol Vessels for the Indian Coast Guard will enhance surveillance capability in the coastal areas to new heights. (ANI)

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French Defence Minister praises India’s indigenous potential

This is the French Defence Minister’s first visit to India after assuming office…reports Asian Lite News

In a visible sign of growing cooperation between India and France, particularly in the defence sector, French Minister of Armed Forces Sébastien Lecornu visited the Indigenous Aircraft Carrier INS Vikrant on Saturday.

“On board the INS Vikrant, the Indian Navy’s new aircraft carrier designed and built in India.

France and India are united in their resolve to defend their maritime sovereignty and guarantee freedom of navigation in the Indo-Pacific region,” the French Minister tweeted.

The French delegation interacted with Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Southern Naval Command Vice Admiral MA Hampiholi on board Vikrant. The French Minister acknowledged India’s indigenous potential and self-reliance, the Ministry of Defence said.

“The discussions ranged from enhancing cooperation in areas of mutual interest to the maritime challenges in the IOR. The visit further consolidated the strategic bilateral relations between both the countries,” the ministry noted.

Lecornu, who is visiting India from November 26-28, will co-chair the 4th India-France Annual Defence Dialogue with India’s Defence Minister Rajnath Singh.

“He will take his opportunity to highlight the importance of Indo-French naval cooperation for security and stability in the Indo-Pacific,” the French Embassy in India had said on the eve of his visit.

This is the French Defence Minister’s first visit to India after assuming office.

India and France have close and friendly relations. In 1998, the two countries entered into a Strategic Partnership, marking convergence of their views on a range of international issues apart from a close and growing bilateral relationship.

India and France are partners in defence and armaments, contributing to India’s policy of strategic autonomy in the defence sector through numerous industrial cooperation.

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-Top News EU News

EU to plug defence spending gaps with €70 bn by 2035

Pieter Wezeman, a senior researcher at Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, told Euronews that it is these areas where the focus will be…reports Asian Lite News

EU countries are planning to increase their defence expenditure by €70 billion by 2025 in order to fill existing capability gaps, according to the EU’s foreign policy chief.

Speaking in Brussels at a meeting of the bloc’s defence ministers, Josep Borrell also said the European Commission is pushing to procure weapons jointly across the EU, similar to the model used to obtain vaccines during the pandemic.

“The important thing is to go together, to avoid splitting the market, to avoid competition,” Borrell told reporters on Tuesday.

“We have to avoid what happened with the vaccines. Everybody together, altogether, makes for a better price, better quality, and better time.”

Some analysts argue that a dash for new weapons without a set of rules risks making a highly fragmented market even more disjointed.

They also say that the EU countries which have supplied weapons to Ukraine are now seeing gaps in certain areas of their weapons stockpiles, including munitions, artillery grenades and certain types of missiles.

Pieter Wezeman, a senior researcher at Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, told Euronews that it is these areas where the focus will be.

“When it comes to really standard types of equipment, such as ammunition, where the sums are involved, the financial sums involved are not necessarily that high.” Wezeman said.

“I think it is quite reasonable to expect that such cooperation can take place and again, within the NATO framework, we have seen really good examples of that.

“But when we talk about larger projects, when we talk about, let’s say, the acquisition of combat aircraft, ships, tanks, there is a long history of attempts to operate within the EU or within NATO, and often enough they have failed.

Wezeman added there’s also concern that this process can take a very long time – even years, if not decades – to come to an agreement on what to acquire, who will make it, and who will take the lead role.

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Defence India News

Indian and French Air Force chiefs take to the skies

The unique flight provided the perfect overview of the Exercise to both the Commanders,” the Indian Air Force’s Media and Communications Centre tweeted…reports Asian Lite News

The Chiefs of the Air Staff of the Indian Air Force (IAF), Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhari, and the French Air and Space Force (FASF), General Stéphane Mille, participated in a combined flight on Tuesday during the ongoing exercise Garuda VII.

The FASF Chief flew in an IAF Su-30MKI fighter, while CAS did a sortie in an IAF Rafale fighter. Both took part in the exercise, which was carried out as a part of a joint training operation that out of Air Force Station Jodhpur in the desert terrains of Rajasthan.

“Leading by example. Chiefs from both the #IAF & @Armee_de_lair took to the skies in one of the multi-aircraft missions flown during #ExerciseGaruda.

The unique flight provided the perfect overview of the Exercise to both the Commanders,” the Indian Air Force’s Media and Communications Centre tweeted.

Later, speaking to the media alongside the FASF Chief, Air Chief Marshal Chaudhari noted that Ex Garuda offers an exceptional chance for both Air Forces to absorb best practises from one another when conducting missions.

He also emphasized the expanding interoperability between the two air forces, which has grown with each revamped version of the bilateral exercise, which has been taking place regularly since 2003.

The LCA Tejas and the freshly inducted LCH Prachand are both participating in Ex Garuda VII for the first time in an international exercise.

In addition to the LCA and LCH, the IAF contingent also includes Mi-17 helicopters, Su-30 MKI, Rafale, and Jaguar fighter aircraft. Combat-enabling assets, including AWACS, AEW&C, AWACS, and Garud Special Forces, are also part of the IAF contingent.

From the French Air Force side, four FASF Rafale fighters and one A-330 Multi Role Tanker Transport (MRTT) aircraft are participating in the exercise, which is scheduled to end on November 12th.

After a two-year hiatus, the exercise will once again boost bilateral ties between the two nations and provide an opportunity for the air forces on both sides to further develop their operational capabilities, interoperability, and best practices sharing. (India News Network)

ALSO READ-IAF begins war games with French Air Force  

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-Top News UK News

Laser power moves a step closer for defence

The programme has developed a UK sovereign ‘centre of excellence’ staffed with experts from multiple fields…reports Asian Lite News

The MOD’s Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl) has hosted the UK’s first high-powered, long range laser directed energy weapon (LDEW) trial on its ranges at Porton Down.

The trials involve firing the UK DragonFire demonstrator at a number of targets over a number of ranges, demanding pinpoint accuracy from the beam director.

These tests improve the UK’s understanding of how high-energy lasers and their associated technologies can operate over distance and defeat representative targets. The ability to deliver high levels of laser power with sufficient accuracy are two of the major areas that need to be demonstrated in order to provide confidence in the performance and viability of LDEW systems.

The programme has developed a UK sovereign ‘centre of excellence’ staffed with experts from multiple fields. Laser directed energy weapons have the potential to provide lower cost lethality, reduced logistical burden and increased effectiveness when compared to other weapon systems – the technology could have a huge effect on the future of defence operations.

Dstl’s Technical Partner, Ben Maddison said, “This trial is the culmination of design, development and demonstration activity over a number of years. DragonFire has already successfully demonstrated an ability to track targets with very high levels of precision and to maintain a laser beam on the selected aim-point. This trial has assessed the performance of the laser itself – the outcome shows that the UK has world-leading capability in the technologies associated with laser directed energy weapons (LDEW) systems.”

Chris Allam, UK Managing Director and Executive Group Director of Engineering at MBDA said, “These successful trials are the latest step in accelerating delivery of a UK sovereign laser directed energy weapon (LDEW) capability. MBDA, Leonardo, QinetiQ and Dstl all working together are putting the UK at the forefront of research and technology in laser domain. The results from these trials have verified analysis and given the team confidence that DragonFire will offer a near term and unique capability.”

The trial is the culmination of significant joint investment by the UK Ministry of Defence (MOD) and industry over a number of years totalling around £100 million.

Mark Hamilton, Managing Director Electronics UK, Leonardo said, “The DragonFire project draws on our decades of high energy laser and beam director heritage to put the UK at the very forward edge of what is possible in laser technology. The results of this live trial, which saw our beam director integrated into the DragonFire system, were impressive. We are looking forward to the next stages of the programme.”

QinetiQ Chief Executive, Steve Wadey, added, “We are delighted to have been involved in the trial, which has brought together the best of UK industry expertise in the complex weapons environment to work in close collaboration with Dstl. QinetiQ’s coherent beam-combining technology offers a laser system that can achieve an enhanced power density and increased engagement range, that is scalable for future uses. The trial has proven the performance of these laser technologies and their potential for adoption in sovereign defence capabilities.”

This technology could provide the basis for a number of future weapon systems. The DragonFire project is running in parallel and closely connected to other defence programmes including the Novel Weapons Programme.

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India, Bhutan hold talks to increase defence cooperation

India strongly opposed construction as it would have impacted its overall security interests. The India-China face-off was resolved following several rounds of talks…reports Asian Lite News

Against the backdrop of China rapidly improving its infrastructure in Doklam region, which resulted in a military standoff in 2017, India and Bhutan on Tuesday reviewed the entire spectrum of their bilateral defence ties during talks here between visiting Bhutan Army Chief Operations Officer Lt General Batoo Tshering and Army chief General Manoj Pande.

The talks took place in the backdrop of China rapidly improving its infrastructure in Doklam region which saw a military stand off between India and China in 2017.

The two chiefs focused on various key dimensions of India-Bhutan defence cooperation and reviewed the evolving regional security scenario. Tshering’s visit to New Delhi comes three months after Pande travelled to Bhutan.

“General Manoj Pande #COAS extended a warm welcome to Lieutenant General Batoo Tshering, Chief Operations Officer, Royal Bhutan Army and discussed ways to strengthen the #DefenceCooperation between the two Armies,” the Army tweeted. Earlier, the Bhutanese chief laid a wreath at the National War Memorial.  He was also accorded a guard of honour in the South Block lawns.

The Doklam plateau is considered an important area for India’s strategic interest.  The Indian and Chinese armies were locked in a 73-day stand-off at the Doklam tri-junction in 2017 after China tried to extend a road in an area that Bhutan claimed belonged to it.  India strongly opposed construction as it would have impacted its overall security interests. The India-China face-off was resolved following several rounds of talks.

In October last year, Bhutan and China signed an agreement on a “three-step roadmap” to expedite negotiations to resolve their festering boundary dispute. Bhutan shares an over 400-km-long border with China and two countries have held over 24 rounds of boundary talks in a bid to resolve dispute.

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-Top News Defence India News

India’s growing Defence exports

India successfully tests multi barrel rocket launcher system Pinaka-ER

Besides the strategic importance of the deal with Armenia, the export order is a boost for the indigenous defence industry with the Indian government keen to increase the value of Indian arms exports, writes Asad Mirza

India’s defence exports to various countries have increased manifold in recent years, the latest deal is to export Indian rocket launchers to Armenia.

According to reports, India would supply the ‘Pinaka’ multi-rocket launcher system, which can fire a salvo of 12 HE rockets in 44 seconds to Armenia besides anti-tank missiles and a variety of ammunition as part of a package agreement.

The complete details of these armaments have not yet been disclosed. Pinaka saw service during the Kargil War, where it was successful in neutralising enemy positions on the mountaintops.

While the deal’s value has not been disclosed, the report claims armament worth $250 million or Rs 2,000 crore would be sold over the next few months. The deal was signed earlier this month and supplies are to be fast-tracked.

It is not the first time that Armenia has received weapons equipment from India.

In 2020, India triumphed over Russia and Poland in a $40 million defence agreement with Armenia providing it with four indigenous ‘Swathi’ counter-battery radars.

This disclosure comes days after India called on the “aggressor side” in fresh fighting along the Armenia-Azerbaijan border to “immediately cease hostilities” without directly naming Azerbaijan. Latest fighting erupted between the two sides on September 13.


India’s defence exports

Meanwhile, it seems the Armenian-Azerbaijan conflict has helped India to boost its arms exports. According to reports, India recently announced figures for the highest-ever defence export growth that swelled by a staggering 334 per cent over the last five years.

In fact, India is chasing an even higher target.

In 2020, the Narendra Modi government had set a target of Rs 35,000 crore ($5 billion) export in aerospace, and defence goods and services in the next five years. This is part of the turnover of Rs 1.75 lakh crore ($25 billion) in defence manufacturing by 2025 that the government is aiming to achieve.

India’s defence exports touched a record Rs 13,000 crore in 2021-22, “eight times” of what it was around five years ago.

Besides the strategic importance of the deal with Armenia, the export order is a boost for the indigenous defence industry with the Indian government keen to increase the value of Indian arms exports.

India had also signed a contract with the Philippines in January 2022 for the sale of BrahMos missiles.

Currently, India exports defence equipment to 75 countries and these include weapon simulators, tear gas launcher, torpedo loading mechanism, alarm monitoring & control, night vision monocular & binocular, light-weight torpedo & fire control systems, armoured protection vehicle, weapons locating radar, high-frequency radio, coastal surveillance radar among others.


Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict

The issue of the conclave of Nagorno-Karabakh has always been the bone of contention between Armenia and Azerbaijan ever since the two countries became independent republics, after gaining independence from the erstwhile USSR.

The disputed region of Nagorno-Karabakh lies in Azerbaijan and is inhabited mostly by ethnic Armenians.

The conflict escalated into a full-scale war in the early 1990s which later transformed into alow-intensity conflict until four-day escalation in April 2016 and then into another full-scale war in 2020.

A ceasefire signed in 1994 in Bishkek was followed by two decades of relative stability, which significantly deteriorated along with Azerbaijan’s increasing frustration with the status quo, at odds with Armenia’s efforts to cement it.

Azerbaijan, for one, has received backing from its traditional allies and supporters, Turkey and Israel. During the 2020 skirmish between the two combatants, Baku turned the tide in its favour by overwhelmingly deploying Turkish Bayraktar and Israeli kamikaze drones.

While Armenia has often turned to Russia for support, Moscow’s preoccupation with the on-going war against Ukraine has resulted in not a very supportive response, this time.

In the face of rising hostilities and little military aid, the defence deal with India may prove to be a shot in the arm for a beleaguered Armenia.

Azerbaijan-Turkey-Pakistan relationship

India’s military assistance for Armenia comes against the backdrop of its regional rival’s bonhomie with Azerbaijan. Pakistan has consistently backed Azerbaijan in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and has refused to establish diplomatic ties and legally recognise Armenia as an independent state.

Azerbaijan is seen by many as part of an emerging axis with Turkey and Pakistan. It has used Turkish drones to fight war against Armenia, and is also in talks with Pakistan to buy the JF-17 fighter aircraft.

In 2017, Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Pakistan had signed a Trilateral Ministers Agreement that established security cooperation, and built upon previous bilateral military aid arrangements.

These three countries also conducted a joint exercise named ‘Three Brothers’ last year.

The rise of Azerbaijan with increased Turkey-Pakistan military cooperation is a direct warning to India.

Azerbaijan has acquired many deadly weapons by increasing friendship with Turkey and Pakistan in the name of Islam. Indian fears that other countries may also go along this route in the name of Islamic countries are not unfounded.

However, in spite of these developments, an interesting fact is that India has stronger economic ties with Azerbaijan than with Armenia. Indian company ONGC has also invested heavily in Azerbaijan’s gas sector.

The Indian bilateral trade with Azerbaijan in 2019 stood at $1,093 million, while with Armenia it was only $48 million in 2020.

Broadly this latest defence deal will place India as one of the emerging global powers with rising defence exports capability. In addition it will also allow it to play a significant role in the central Asian republics and regionally, both.

(Asad Mirza is a political commentator based in New Delhi. He writes on Indian Muslims, educational, international affairs, interfaith and current affairs)

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