Rajnath Singh Addresses Maiden India-Australia Defence Industry Business Round Table in Sydney

RM welcomes Australian companies to co-develop & co-produce high-end systems, including propulsion technologies, autonomous underwater vehicles, flight simulators and advanced materials

Sydney, October 10, 2025: Raksha Mantri  Rajnath Singh addressed the first-ever India-Australia Defence Industry Business Round Table in Sydney, emphasizing the growing synergy between the two nations in strategic, industrial, and technological domains.

“Under the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership established in 2020, we are at a pivotal juncture to re-position our defence relations as co-creators of a secure and prosperous Indo-Pacific,” said  Rajnath Singh. He added that the Round Table is a declaration of intent to make India and Australia natural allies in business, innovation, and defence production.

Rajnath Singh recalled past high-level engagements, including the India-Australia Summit (Nov 2024), the 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue (Oct 2024), and the Australian Deputy PM & Defence Minister’s visit to India (June 2025). He highlighted shared democratic values, institutional similarities, and the role of the Indian diaspora in fostering people-to-people connections.
India, now the fourth-largest global economy, continues structural reforms in manufacturing. Defence production reached Rs 1.51 lakh crore (~USD 18 billion) last year, marking an 18% increase, while defence exports hit Rs 23,622 crore (~USD 2.76 billion) to nearly 100 countries.

The Raksha Mantri noted that India offers vast manufacturing scale, indigenous shipbuilding and missile technologies, and software capabilities, while Australia excels in quantum systems, autonomous underwater vehicles, and advanced maritime surveillance.

Rajnath Singh invited Australian companies to co-develop and co-produce high-end systems, including propulsion technologies, autonomous underwater vehicles, flight simulators, and advanced materials.

India’s shipyards are ready to provide refit, mid-life upgrades, and maintenance services for the Royal Australian Navy, while joint R&D in autonomous systems and green shipbuilding technologies offers new avenues for innovation.

The Defence Ministry has opened avenues for free-of-cost technology transfer through DRDO and offers schemes for cutting-edge technology development. FDI policy has been liberalised up to 74% under the automatic route, with further investment allowed under government approval, particularly when introducing modern technology.

Rajnath Singh highlighted collaborations such as Indo-MIM Pvt. Ltd. with Thales Australia, Tata Advanced Systems with W&E Platt Pty Ltd, and Munitions India Ltd. with Aqusport. These partnerships illustrate the complementarity of Indian and Australian defence industrial ecosystems. The Raksha Mantri emphasized the potential for co-production of naval vessels, ship repair, refits, MRO support, and joint R&D. He called on the Australian business community to invest, collaborate, and innovate with India to develop advanced platforms and technologies.

The Round Table was jointly organized by the Ministry of Defence, the Australian Department of Defence, Newland Global Group, and the Australia-India Business Council. The event saw participation from senior government officials, diplomats, industry leaders, and innovators from both nations.

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