Defence Secretary Shri Rajesh Kumar Singh held a bilateral meeting with Minister for the House of Lords, UK Lord Vernon Coaker on the sidelines of 15th Aero India in Bengaluru on February 11, 2025. They briefly reviewed the ongoing defence cooperation, particularly industrial collaboration, and the ongoing engagements in the maritime domain.
They expressed satisfaction over the beginnings being made in key cooperation areas such as Electric Propulsion and aero engines. Earlier, the Defence Secretary co-chaired a UK-India Business Council roundtable meeting with Lord Coaker and British High Commissioner to India Ms Lindy Cameron.
This roundtable discussed the opportunities for Indian & UK defence companies to work together on ongoing and future joint projects. A large number of UK defence industries attended the roundtable while Indian industry was represented by the Society of Indian Defence Manufacturers leadership.
The Defence Secretary also held a bilateral meeting with Under Secretary of State for Defence, Italy Mr Matteo Perego Di Cremnago. They discussed ways & means to enhance the defence cooperation activities, including increased maritime and air exchanges, and joint project opportunities for Indian & Italian companies.