India and South Korea on Wednesday inked Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) in key areas of defence cooperation, including cooperation in the field of Defence Cyber, training between India’s National Defence College and Korea National Defence University and UN Peacekeeping Cooperation.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and his Korean counterpart Ahn Gyu-back held comprehensive bilateral discussions in Seoul. The two leaders reviewed the entire spectrum of defence cooperation between the nations and discussed ways to further expand collaboration in areas such as industry, production, maritime security, emerging technologies, military exchanges, logistics & regional security.
The two sides acknowledged the growing convergence between India’s Act East Policy and Republic of Korea (RoK)’s regional strategic vision, reiterating their commitment to strengthening defence ties in line with the shared objectives of maintaining a free, open, inclusive and rule-based Indo-Pacific.
During his visit to South Korea, Singh also met Minister Defense Acquisition Program Administration, Lee Yong-chul, where both leaders agreed to harness the efforts to create avenues for joint development, joint production and joint exports.
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India and South Korea are also in discussions for a roadmap to unlock the potential of a Defence Innovation Accelerator Ecosystem (KIND-X) to synergise the innovation ecosystems of the two countries.
Singh chaired the India-RoK Defence Industry Business RoundTable, which brought together senior government officials and leading defence industry representatives from both countries. The participants explored new opportunities in defence manufacturing, co-development, co-production and supply chain partnerships.
Addressing the business leaders, the defence minister highlighted India’s growing defence industrial ecosystem and the opportunities available under the government's initiatives aimed at promoting indigenous defence manufacturing and global partnerships.
He further invited Korean defence companies to strengthen engagement with Indian industry and contribute towards long-term mutually beneficial collaboration.
“The success of India-Korea industrial cooperation in the commercial sector demonstrates the enormous potential of long-term trusted partnerships between the two countries. The time has now come to extend this successful model into the defence sector, where technology, innovation, manufacturing capability, and strategic trust are becoming increasingly interconnected," Singh said.
He noted that Korea’s technological excellence, combined with India’s scale, talent, manufacturing ecosystem, and innovation capabilities, creates a powerful foundation for cooperation.
"Together, our two countries can jointly develop and produce advanced technologies and defence systems for the future. Trusted partnerships between technologically capable nations acquire immense strategic importance. India and RoK are uniquely positioned to work together in this changing global landscape,” he added.
He also highlighted that modern defence ecosystems are powered by advanced electronics, artificial intelligence, autonomous systems, cyber technologies, sensors, semiconductors, quantum technologies, advanced materials, and space-based capabilities. In his address to the business leaders, Singh added that the future of defence will increasingly depend upon the ability to innovate rapidly and integrate technologies across multiple domains. This, he stated, is precisely where India and RoK possess enormous potential for collaboration.
Indian-Korean businesses sign defence deal
Two agreements were signed between L&T, India and Hanwa Co Ltd. the government said in a release.
The pacts are expected to facilitate enhanced collaboration between the defence industries of both countries and promote technology cooperation and capacity building.
The defence minister reiterated India's commitment to achieve self-reliance in defence manufacturing, stating the all-time high figures of approximately Rs 1.54 lakh crore worth of defence production and nearly Rs 40,000 crore worth of defence exports in FY2025-26. He added that defence exports are poised to reach Rs 50,000 crore within the next 1-2 years, while defence production is projected to rise to Rs 1.75 lakh crore in the next couple of months.
Singh described Operation Sindoor as a testament to India’s transformation into a strong, confident & capable nation.
“The operation was proof that India will not tolerate terrorism in any form. As a responsible nuclear power, we firmly adhere to a policy of No First Use. However, there are times when people mistake our restraint and commitment to peace for weakness. While India remains committed to its No First Use policy, it will not tolerate any form of nuclear blackmail. This is New India,” he said.
