Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, with Minister for Defence Acquisition Programme Administration Lee Yong-chul, at the India-Republic of Korea Defence Industry Business Roundtable, in Seoul on Wednesday
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With South Korea emerging as the world’s 10th largest exporter of military products, displaying exceptional transformation in modern military history, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Wednesday urged the President Lee Jae-Myung regime to jointly develop and produce advanced technologies with India.Singh, who landed in Seoul on Tuesday after finishing his Vietnam leg of the two-nation tour, held bilateral talks with Minister of National Defence Ahn Gyu-back on Wednesday. During the engagement, both the leaders reviewed the entire spectrum of defence cooperation and discussed ways to further expand collaboration in areas such as industry, production, maritime security, emerging technologies, military exchanges, logistics and regional security.Later, he met with Minister of Defence Acquisition Program Administration, Republic of Korea, Lee Yong-chul, and the two agreed to harness the symbiotic efforts to create avenues for joint development, joint production and joint exports, the Ministry of Defence said in a statement on Singh’s tour.A roadmap to unlock the potential of the India-Korea Defence Innovation Accelerator Ecosystem (KIND-X) to synergise the innovation ecosystems of the two countries was discussed, the MoD pointed out.Way back in 2017, the two countries had successfully entered into defence industrial cooperation for the manufacturing of K9 Vajra -- a 155mm, 52-calibre howitzer developed by South Korea’s Hanwha Aerospace -- in India. L&T had partnered with Hanwha for the project.Singh, later, chaired the India-Republic of Korea Defence Industry Business Roundtable, which brought together senior government officials and leading defence industry representatives from both countries. The interaction provided an important platform for exploring new opportunities in defence manufacturing, co-development, co-production and supply chain partnerships.Addressing the business leaders, the senior Union Minister highlighted India’s growing defence industrial ecosystem and the opportunities available under Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government’s initiatives aimed at promoting indigenous defence manufacturing and global partnerships. He invited Korean defence companies to strengthen engagement with Indian industry and contribute towards long-term mutually beneficial collaboration.MoUs were inked in key areas of defence cooperation. Agreements were exchanged on promoting cooperation in the field of Defence Cyber; training between India’s National Defence College and Korea National Defence University; and UN Peacekeeping Cooperation, making the partnership stronger and multidimensional.Published on May 20, 2026
