Defence Minister Rajnath Singh is gearing up for a crucial three-day visit to the UK, commencing on Monday, signifying a significant milestone in bilateral defence and security cooperation. The last ministerial-level visit between the two nations occurred 22 years ago, rendering Singh's upcoming tour highly momentous.
Scheduled engagements during Singh's visit include comprehensive discussions with UK Defence Secretary Grant Shapps, an inspection of a ceremonial Guard of Honour, and visits to memorials of Mahatma Gandhi and Dr. B.R. Ambedkar in London. Additionally, Singh plans to interact with members of the Indian diaspora, enhancing community ties.
This visit holds immense symbolic and substantive importance. It marks the first trip by India's defence minister to the UK in over two decades, with the previous visit made by then-defence minister George Fernandes in January 2002. Rahul Roy-Chaudhury, a Senior Fellow at the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS), views this visit as a positive indicator of improved political relations and burgeoning trust between India and the UK, notably after British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's visit to India for the G20 Summit last September.
In terms of substance, the visit aims to deepen military cooperation and bolster defence industrial partnerships, building on previous high-level meetings like the Defence Consultative Group (DCG) meeting in Delhi and the inaugural 2+2 Foreign and Defence Dialogue in 2023. The focus lies on fortifying technological collaborations, particularly in ongoing projects related to aero-engines, naval electric propulsion, and ground-based air defence systems involving UK-based entities like Rolls-Royce, GE (Naval) UK, and MBDA (UK).
Singh's itinerary may include visits to arms manufacturing sites to further cement these partnerships. The visit, however, takes place amidst Indian concerns regarding pro-Khalistan violence in the UK and contentious legacy issues concerning UK defence supplies to India.
Yet, amidst these concerns, analysts emphasize the importance of leveraging this ministerial dialogue to actualize India's 'Make in India' and 'Atmanirbhar Bharat' initiatives in the defence sector. The India-UK defence partnership has witnessed significant strides, including the UK's announcement of an Open General Export Licence (OGEL) during Boris Johnson's 2022 visit to India, aimed at expediting defence procurement processes.
With both India and the UK eyeing general elections this year, the visit gains heightened attention, encompassing various aspects of the relationship, including accelerated negotiations for a free trade agreement expected to bolster the existing GBP 36-billion bilateral partnership.
(With Agency Inputs)
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