Believe in true partnerships, not creating satellite states, says Defence Minister Rajnath

India has pledged to increase training activities and assist African nations with capacity building for their defence forces as part of the 'Gandhinagar Declaration' adopted during the flagship DefExpo military show on Tuesday.

The Declaration, which mentions increased training slots, more joint exercises and deputation of training teams, was adopted at a gathering of 50 African nations represented by their defence ministers or senior military officials.

Defence minister Rajnath Singh, who held several rounds of bilateral talks with his African counterparts, also invited the countries to explore Indian defence equipment and technologies and said that India believes in forging equal partnerships based on mutual respect.


"We do not believe in making or becoming a client or satellite state, and so, when we partner any nation, it is on the basis of sovereign equality and mutual respect. Forging relations comes naturally to India, as we work towards mutual economic development," the minister said.

He added that India has created a defence manufacturing ecosystem that can help African nations build capacity with the help of a trusted partner, without worrying about undue influence that weapons suppliers can yield.

"India does not believe in a hierarchical world order where few countries are considered superior to others. India's international relations are guided by the very essence of human equality and dignity, which is part of our ancient ethos," Singh said.

The African delegation at DefExpo, which includes 20 defence ministers, is being shown the new weapon systems that have been developed by the private and public sector as India looks to increase defence exports. This includes a variety of loitering munition that are currently under development and are considered to be game-changers for future warfare. Besides these, drone and anti-drone systems are also being showcased, as well as a variety of arms and ammunition being supplied to the Indian armed forces.

Having tasted success by exporting systems like surface-to-surface missiles, rockets and patrol vessels to friendly nations like Philippines, Vietnam and Armenia, India also has tasked its overseas missions in Africa to explore avenues for military sales.