Amid strains with Trump, European Union eyes India as arms supplier under new defence partnership

To strengthen industry-level engagement, an EU-India Defence Industry Forum is being established to bring together companies from both regions and facilitate business collaboration. (Photo for representational purpose only)

• EU and India to sign Security and Defence Partnership next week
• New Defence Industry Forum to boost EU-India military business collaboration
• Partnership aims to expand cooperation in maritime security and cyber defence

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The European Union and India have finalised a Security and Defence Partnership that is scheduled to be signed next week, a move expected to significantly deepen military industrial cooperation between the two sides, an Economic Times report said on Friday.

Europe is increasingly viewing India as a potential supplier of arms and defence equipment in select segments, reflecting a shift in long-term strategic thinking.

To strengthen industry-level engagement, an EU-India Defence Industry Forum is being established to bring together companies from both regions and facilitate business collaboration. As noted by The Economic Times, the forum will focus on identifying concrete areas of cooperation, with EU and Indian officials expected to participate as observers.

India already maintains substantial defence trade ties with several EU member states, including France, Germany, Spain and Italy, which are key suppliers of advanced weapon systems. Over the past two years, Indian defence exports to Europe have also risen sharply, driven largely by shipments of ammunition and explosives as European nations replenish depleted stockpiles, The Economic Times said.

The newly concluded partnership is expected to further accelerate cooperation, with the EU aiming to leverage its strengths in defence research and development to reinforce India's industrial base while diversifying its own supply chains. Indian manufacturing capabilities, in turn, are seen as a way for Europe to enhance its military preparedness, according to The Economic Times.

EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said the agreement would broaden collaboration across areas such as maritime security, counterterrorism and cyber defence. She added that the EU is keen to expand operational cooperation with the Indian Navy, including joint exercises that could involve other Indo-Pacific partners. Enhanced information sharing between EU naval missions and the Indian Navy in the Western Indian Ocean is also being explored, The Economic Times reported, with future joint maritime activities possible in regions of shared interest such as the Gulf of Guinea.