Make in India: German defence companies keen to invest

New Delhi, Oct 3: German defence companies, enthusiastic about Make in India programme launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, are planning to invest in India.

The defence cooperation and military trade will be discussed during German Chancellor Angela Merkel's three-day visit to India starting October 4.

The focus of military trade will be on sharing of state-of-the-art technology for various platforms for the Indian armed forces.

German defence minister Ursula von der Leyen, who visited India this year May this year, lobbied for the purchase of German and European military hardware with defence minister Manohar Parrikar and other senior officials.

There has been no major procurement from Germany since 1989 when India bought Class 209 submarines.

Germany is India's largest trading partner in Europe and 2nd most important partner in terms of technological collaborations. However, bilateral trade has stagnated in last couple of years due to various domestic and international factors.

OneIndia News