French aerospace and defence group Thales is seeking to expand its partnership with India by jointly developing next-generation weapon systems, with Chief Executive Patrice Caine stating that Indian companies possess the expertise needed to contribute to advanced defence technologies, according to a report by Economic Times.

The €22 billion company plans to increase its procurement of products and services from India, having already sourced more than €1.2 billion worth over the past five years. Caine said Indian suppliers are now becoming an increasingly important part of the group's long-term growth strategy.

According to Caine, India has the industrial and technological capabilities required to contribute to future radar systems, missile technologies and electronic warfare equipment. He stressed that Thales has been working with Indian suppliers for several years and intends to build further on those relationships.

“When I look at our radars, missiles, and electronic warfare equipment, it is clear that India has the capabilities to contribute to the development of next-generation systems,” Caine said. “We can build on these capabilities in India and, in fact, we started selecting Indian suppliers several years ago.”

A key element of Thales’ approach is the transfer of higher-end technological responsibilities to Indian partners. The company is not only considering manufacturing partnerships but is also looking at transferring design authority, enabling Indian firms to play a greater role in engineering, product development and system design.

Caine described collaboration with Indian companies as making “good business sense”, citing their focus on quality, technical expertise and competitive costs. He noted that products manufactured in India are already integrated into Thales’ global supply chain and sold in international markets.

“The scale of this business is significant. Over the past five years, Thales has procured €1.2 billion worth of products and services from India. Looking ahead, I am confident that this will continue to grow,” he said.

The executive also highlighted opportunities beyond defence. Thales is exploring possible cooperation with Indian space-launch companies amid expectations of growing global launch capacity constraints later in the decade. Such partnerships could help address future demand in the space sector.

One of the world's largest aerospace and defence manufacturers, Thales operates across air, land, cyber, space and security domains and is a major supplier for platforms including the Rafale fighter aircraft.

Caine did not comment in detail on ongoing discussions related to India's potential acquisition of 114 additional Rafale fighter jets. However, any future deal is expected to involve substantial technology transfer by major French industry partners, including Thales, Dassault Aviation and Safran.

He emphasised that India’s strong industrial base, long-established engineering capabilities and growing technological expertise make the country an attractive partner for the development of future defence systems intended for both domestic and global markets.

Agencies