INDIA and Germany on Tuesday explored ways to co-develop key military platforms with German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius showing keen interest in New Delhi’s mega plan to procure six stealth conventional submarines at a cost of around Rs 43,000 crore. In his talks with Pistorius, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh stressed that India and Germany could build a “more symbiotic” defence relationship based on shared goals and complementarity of strength and invited German investments in defence corridors in Uttar Pradesh and Tamil Nadu.

 

The two defence ministers also reviewed regional security situations including China’s growing assertiveness in the Indo-Pacific and other regions, officials said. Pistorius arrived in Delhi on Monday on a four-day visit to India. It is the first visit of a German Defence Minister to India since 2015. The Defence Ministry said the Indian defence industry could participate in the supply chains of the German defence industry and add value to the ecosystem, besides contributing to supply chain resilience. It is learnt that the Russian invasion of Ukraine and its implications on the world figured in the talks. The officials said India’s plan to procure six stealth conventional submarines at a cost of around Rs 43,000 crore figured in the talks and Pistorius showed Germany’s interest in the project.