Defence partnership with Egypt opens new window for India in wider West Asian region

The partnership between India and Egypt in the defence manufacture sector opens a new window for India in the wider West Asian region.

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi and Defence Minister Mohamed Zaki held a discussion on military and security matters with Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh. Zaki and Singh signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in military cooperation.

The talks between the defence ministers of the two countries focused on joint manufacturing, transfer and localization of technology. Zaki and Singh looked at transfer of technology and localising the technology.


In the 1950s and the 1960s, India under then prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru and then Egyptian president Gamal Abdel Nasser, had close partnership which expanded into NAM and genesis for security & defence partnership was laid. Egypt is a strong military power in the region with decades of established professionalism and Cairo is an important player in OIC & Arab League.

Many of the developing countries like Egypt and India are looking beyond their respective regions in matters of defence and security. It is possible that gradually, there will be closer cooperation between Asian and African states.

India had signed an agreement with the Philippines to sell its Brahmo missiles for $375 million. India is looking to new markets for its arms exports.