Rajnath Singh Germany visit: Defence cooperation, AI and Make in India focus in Berlin talks
New Delhi: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will undertake an official visit to Germany from April 21–23 to strengthen India-Germany defence cooperation and expand strategic partnership in emerging technologies.
During the visit, Singh will hold bilateral talks with German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius and senior government officials, focusing on defence industrial collaboration, military-to-military engagement and new areas such as cyber security, artificial intelligence and drone technology.
According to the Ministry of Defence, a Defence Industrial Cooperation Roadmap and an agreement on cooperation in United Nations peacekeeping operations training are expected to be signed during the visit.
The discussions are aimed at boosting joint development, co-production and deeper industry-level collaboration under India’s Make in India initiative.
Singh is also expected to interact with leading German defence industry representatives to explore new opportunities for partnership in advanced defence manufacturing and technology sharing.
India and Germany share a strategic partnership rooted in democratic values and a rules-based international order. Defence cooperation has emerged as a key pillar of this relationship in recent years.
The last visit by an Indian Defence Minister to Germany took place in 2019, while Pistorius last visited India in June 2023 for bilateral talks with Singh.
Ahead of the visit, both countries recently held Foreign Office Consultations in Berlin, reviewing cooperation across trade, defence, technology, digital governance, renewable energy, green hydrogen and innovation.
Senior officials, including Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri and German State Secretary Geza Andreas von Geyr, co-chaired the consultations and discussed regional and global issues, including the Russia-Ukraine conflict and developments in West Asia.
The two sides also marked 75 years of diplomatic relations between India and Germany, reaffirming their commitment to deepening the strategic partnership.
India’s Embassy in Germany noted that Foreign Secretary Misri also met German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul and engaged with policymakers and experts to further strengthen bilateral ties.
Officials said the upcoming visit is expected to deepen cooperation across defence, technology and innovation, contributing to regional stability and global security.
IANS