On the sidelines of the Joint Defence Cooperation Committee (JDCC), a seminar on the India-UAE Defence Industry Partnership was held at the India Habitat Centre, New Delhi, on Thursday, with the focus being on expanding industry-to-industry collaboration.

Organised under the aegis of the Department of Defence Production and jointly coordinated by Society of Indian Defence Manufacturers (SIDM) & UAE’s EDGE Group, the event witnessed participation from over 90 Indian defence companies and eight UAE firms.

Secretary (Defence Production) Shri Sanjeev Kumar and Under Secretary of Defence, UAE Staff Lt Gen Ibrahim Nasser Al Alawi, co-chaired the event.

Building on the first India-UAE Defence Industry Partnership Forum held in Abu Dhabi in September 2024, this second edition focused on expanding industry-to-industry collaboration in areas including unmanned systems, naval platforms, precision munitions, cyber defence, AI, and space-based technologies.

Sanjeev Kumar emphasised the importance of institutional cooperation and identified key domains for future engagement. Lt Gen Al Alawi echoed these sentiments, highlighting opportunities for advanced technology partnerships and acknowledging the strength of India’s growing defence industry.

The seminar reaffirmed the commitment of both nations to forge a future-ready, resilient and trusted defence partnership extending beyond transactional cooperation.

The event concluded with B2B discussions focusing on aligning capabilities in defence manufacturing, MRO, aerospace, and emerging technologies paving the way for self-reliance & export-led growth.

Ambassador of India to UAE Sanjay Sudhir; Chief of Defence & Security Industrial Affairs, Tawazun Council, Matar Ali Al Romaithi; President, SIDM Rajinder Singh Bhatia and MD & CEO, EDGE Group Hamad Al Marar were also present on the occasion.