India has long been a key player in the Global South. The country, which has one of the world's largest defence industries, has been seeking to promote its military exports to the African continent. This reflects India's growing concern for regional security and stability within its neighbourhood. The Asian country has presented its locally produced technologies for military weaponry to officials from many African countries, including Morocco. This initiative aims to showcase its new production of helicopters, drones and artillery at affordable prices. This presentation is expected to help the Asian country expand its market and increase its influence on the African continent.
The Indian Army conducted a mock operation in Pune to demonstrate its advanced military equipment. Equipment such as helicopters, armoured vehicles and bomb disposal robots were on display. Retired General V.G. Pantakar stressed that the Indian Army is manufacturing affordable and reliable equipment. This operation was carried out to demonstrate India's military capability.
The South Asian country has become a major buyer of arms globally due to the growing security threat and the need to modernise its army. India has been investing in the development of a modern military force and is committed to increasing its arms purchases to strengthen its security. It has also been developing high-end weapons to keep up with its neighbours. In a bid to become a major arms exporter, the top five arms exporters were the United States, Russia, France, China and Germany.
In addition, India has announced plans to modernise its arms industry and upgrade its production infrastructure. This includes creating more research facilities, building more advanced production lines, developing high-end manufacturing technologies and improving export capacity. The government has also launched initiatives to enhance international security cooperation and promote collaboration in the arms sector. With these measures, India hopes to position itself as a major arms exporter in the coming years. By becoming a major player in the international arms market, it is also expected to improve its security and diplomatic standing.
The Moroccan government has been investing in upgrading modern defence technologies, especially in intelligence and surveillance technologies, as well as in security infrastructure. The country has also established defence cooperation with several nations, including the US and France, and has signed a friendship and cooperation treaty with the United Arab Emirates. According to the SIPRI report, Morocco imports 76% of its arms from the US, followed by France with 15% and China with 6.8%. Morocco's relations with the EU have also improved significantly in recent years.
As India prepares to become a reliable security partner for countries in the Global South by 2023, the nation's leaders are working to increase its military exports to Africa. This includes military equipment manufacturing, technology transfer and training. These initiatives ensured that India remains at the forefront of regional security and stability within its neighbourhood. At the same time, it is working to increase its presence on the African continent through humanitarian aid and development. These initiatives will help strengthen the relationship between India and African countries, which will see the country play a greater role in maintaining peace and security in the region.
