India and Britain have signed a light missile deal worth ₹4200 crore. Thales, a company based in Northern Ireland, will provide these missiles to the Indian Army. This agreement will strengthen defence and technical cooperation between the two countries, while also securing 700 jobs in Britain.
Defence Deal: Britain signed a light missile deal with India on Thursday, valued at approximately ₹4200 crore (350 million pounds). This deal is related to weapons being manufactured by Britain's Thales company in Northern Ireland. The agreement was announced during the meeting between British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Mumbai. This deal will strengthen both India's defence capabilities and Britain's defence economy. Additionally, both countries will work on new defence-technology projects, such as the manufacturing of electric engines for naval ships.
Light Missile Deal to Enhance India's Strike Capability
As per the defence deal, Britain's Thales company will supply light and state-of-the-art missile systems to the Indian Army. The value of this deal is reported to be 350 million pounds (approximately ₹4200 crore). Thales company is headquartered in Northern Ireland and also manufactures similar weapons for Ukraine.
This deal will secure approximately 700 jobs in Britain. For India, this agreement is considered a significant step towards acquiring modern missile technology. These light missiles will further enhance the Indian Army's field and battalion-level strike capabilities.
Prime Ministerial Meeting in Mumbai
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer is currently on a visit to India. In Mumbai, he met Prime Minister Narendra Modi. During this meeting, both leaders discussed enhancing mutual cooperation not only in defence but also in the fields of trade and technology.
The recently concluded India-UK Trade Deal between the two countries was also appreciated. Modi and Starmer stated that this deal would strengthen both economic ties and defence partnership between the two nations.
New Deal for Electric Engines for the Navy
Another significant agreement under defence cooperation has been made between the two countries. Under this, India and Britain have also signed an agreement for the manufacturing of electric engines for naval ships. The initial cost of this project is reported to be 250 million pounds (approximately ₹3000 crore).
This deal will promote technical cooperation and production capacity between the two countries. Experts state that this step will provide India's navy with energy-efficient and modern technology engines, thereby increasing its long-range combat capability.
Economic Benefits for Britain Too
This deal will bring economic strength not only to India but also to Britain. British defence companies have gained an opportunity to enter a large market like India. For companies like Britain's Thales, this agreement will help increase their production capacity and arms exports.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has been working to strengthen the country's defence industry for the past year. His objective is focused on increasing domestic production and promoting exports. Recently, Britain also signed a large warship deal worth 13.5 billion dollars with Norway.
New Partnership to Foster Trust
This defence deal between the two countries is considered a new milestone in strategic partnership. The British Prime Minister stated that Britain aims to strengthen long-term defence and technical relations with India. Prime Minister Modi also described this cooperation as "the shared security commitment of two democratic nations."
Strengthening Both Trade and Defence
Along with this defence deal, trade relations between the two countries are also reaching new heights. After the India-UK Trade Deal, the direction for a long-term partnership in the defence sector has now been set.
Experts suggest that in the coming years, India and Britain could take further steps in areas such as joint defence research, technology transfer, and military training.
