Defence minister Rajnath Singh is embarking on a three-day official visit to Germany from Tuesday, aimed at strengthening the strategic defence partnership between the two nations.
During the visit, he will hold bilateral talks with his German counterpart Boris Pistorius and other senior government leaders.
This marks his first trip to Germany in seven years, the last being in February 2019 by then defence minister Nirmala Sitharaman. Pistorius himself last visited India in June 2023, when he held extensive discussions with Rajnath Singh.
Although no official statement has been issued, it is widely expected that Rajnath Singh will discuss the proposed Indo-German deal for building six next-generation conventional submarines in India under Project 75I. The deal, which has been under negotiation for some time, is estimated to cost between ₹70,000 crore and ₹99,000 crore ($8–12 billion).
The submarines are planned to be constructed in India by Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders in Mumbai, in collaboration with German defence major Thyssenkrupp Marine Systems. This project is seen as a critical step in modernising India’s ageing submarine fleet and enhancing its maritime deterrence capabilities.
The minister’s discussions will also cover broader areas of defence cooperation, including enhancing defence industrial collaboration, strengthening military-to-military engagements, and exploring opportunities in emerging domains such as cyber security, artificial intelligence, and drones.
According to a release from the defence ministry, a defence industrial cooperation roadmap and an implementing arrangement for cooperation in UN peacekeeping operations training are expected to be signed in the presence of both defence ministers.
Rajnath Singh’s visit will provide an opportunity to review ongoing defence cooperation initiatives and identify new avenues for collaboration between the defence industries of both countries.
He is also expected to interact with key representatives of the German defence industry, with the aim of promoting joint development and co-production under the Make-in-India initiative. This aligns with India’s broader push for indigenous defence manufacturing and technology transfer, while deepening strategic ties with Germany.
Agencies
