By leveraging political will and aligning industry, academic, and research cooperation, the UK and India have an opportunity to significantly deepen their defence and technology partnerships
The recent political changes in the UK and India offer an ideal moment to bolster defence and technology cooperation between the two nations. Both the UK’s new Labour government, led by Sir Keir Starmer, and India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi are committed to strengthening bilateral ties. To realize this vision, the participation of industry, academia, and research sectors will be critical, www.iiss.org reported.
Following are the key takeaway from the report:
Deepening Political and Military Ties
Over the past year, UK-India relations have seen notable advancements. High-level visits, such as India’s defence minister and intelligence chief traveling to the UK for the first time in over two decades, have paved the way for greater cooperation. The UK’s military presence in India has also increased, with six Royal Navy ship visits in 2023 and joint exercises like Tarang Shakti between the two air forces. Despite differences over the Russia-Ukraine conflict, both nations share a growing consensus on China.
Building Technology Partnerships
In 2024, UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy’s visit to New Delhi launched the Technology Security Initiative (TSI), aimed at fostering collaboration in critical and emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence, quantum computing, biotechnology, and advanced materials. This initiative mirrors India’s cooperation with the US, focusing on technology supply chains but without coverage of defence or space. To make this partnership effective, there is a need for clear industry participation and collaboration with academia, government, and research centers.
Future Cooperation
To elevate their defence-industrial cooperation, both governments will need to address policy and regulatory hurdles, including intellectual property concerns and export-licensing processes. A clearer vision for future collaboration will likely emerge at the third India-UK Track 1.5 workshop in New Delhi, scheduled for September 2024, where key stakeholders from government, industry, and academia will discuss how to overcome these challenges.
Expanding the Role of Industry in Defence
A key challenge for the UK in expanding its defence cooperation with India is India’s focus on self-reliance, particularly under its “Make in India” and “Atmanirbhar Bharat” initiatives. While the UK has expressed support for co-development projects, its share of India’s defence market remains small. High domestic content requirements and intellectual property concerns make it difficult for UK firms to compete, especially for complex weapons systems. To address this, a gradual increase in domestic-content expectations and clearer guidance on India’s defence priorities could help facilitate more foreign investment.
Additionally, the challenges faced by UK Micro, Small, and Medium-sized Enterprises (MSMEs) and larger prime contractors in navigating India’s complex bureaucracy need to be tackled. MSMEs have found some success, but larger firms face obstacles due to slow-moving regulations. A government-backed “wrapper” could fast-track defence agreements and provide state assurances to enhance bilateral defence-industrial ties.
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