The UK India Business Council (UKIBC) has released a comprehensive report outlining multiple recommendations to enhance and deepen defence cooperation between the UK and India.

The report aims to close opportunity gaps hindering UK firms in the Indian defence sector by providing targeted guidance for business, government, and industry organisations. It leverages insights from case studies, government data, industry expertise, and interviews.

Key recommendations from the UKIBC report include:

Strengthening Government-To-Government (G2G) ties, strategic communication, and industry engagement: UKIBC urges both nations to reinforce existing partnerships at the governmental and industry levels to support mutual commercial and strategic priorities.

Establishment of a UK-India Defence MSME Hub: This hub would nurture collaboration between micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in both countries, facilitating innovation and supply chain integration.

Fostering Co-Development And Co-Production: The UK is encouraged to engage with India on joint development and production of defence technologies, focusing on custom solutions tailored to India's requirements. This includes facilitating technology transfer, co-creation of intellectual property (IP), and stimulating bilateral R&D collaboration.

Adapting To Indian Defence Procurement Systems: UK firms are urged to become more flexible around India's unique procurement practices, while parallel recommendations are made for India to continue refining its Defence Acquisition Procedure (DAP) to encourage international collaboration.

Investment In India-Based R&D And Manufacturing: UK companies are advised to invest in Indian research, development, and manufacturing. This should involve forming local joint ventures, building local value chains, integrating into India's procurement systems, and embedding Indian operations within UK/global supply chains.

Leveraging UK Strengths In Pivotal Technologies: The report emphasizes UK’s capabilities in AI, cyber security, and aerospace tech, aligning these with India’s strategic priorities and modernisation agenda.

Partnering On Defence Corridors: UK firms are encouraged to explore partnerships in Indian defence hubs—such as those in Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, and Karnataka—to benefit from local incentives and infrastructure.

Alignment With India's Make In India And Atmanirbhar Bharat (Self-Reliance) Initiatives: By positioning themselves as trusted, long-term partners, UK firms can meaningfully support India’s rise as a global defence manufacturing and innovation centre.

The report also identifies the robust growth of Indian defence production and exports—supported by government initiatives—and quantifies this with goals such as achieving annual exports of ₹50,000 crore by 2029 (with ₹23,622 crore reached in 2024-25).

Kishore Jayaraman, OBE, India Chair of UKIBC, emphasized the opportunity for UK firms to co-create the next generation of defence and aerospace technologies with India, noting that long-term partnerships and joint innovation will be crucial for success in India's evolving defence ecosystem.

Based On ANI Report