CAIRO– A high-ranking Indian delegation led by Defence Production Secretary Sanjeev Kumar is currently visiting Cairo to deepen defense industrial cooperation between India and Egypt. The delegation includes senior officials and the chairpersons and managing directors of leading Indian defense firms Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL), and Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL).
During the visit, the delegation held a series of high-level meetings with Egyptian defense leaders, including the Air Defence Chief for Armament, the Chairman of the Arab Organisation for Industrialisation, and the Chief of Staff of the Egyptian Air Force. The discussions focused on expanding bilateral cooperation in defense production and technology.
C. Sushma, Chargé d’Affaires at the Indian Embassy in Cairo, and Group Captain Perminder Antil, India’s Defense Attaché in Egypt, joined the talks alongside Eng. Emeil Helmy Elyes, Vice Chairman of Egypt’s National Authority for Military Production. Together, the parties explored opportunities for closer collaboration between the two nations’ defense industries.
In a statement on social media, the Indian Embassy in Cairo said, “The Egyptian side appreciated the briefing on the significant advances in India’s defense manufacturing industry, with special focus on the reliability, affordability, and high quality of Indian defense products. Both sides committed to closer collaboration on various aspects of defense industrial cooperation. This is yet another demonstration of the growing defense relationship between India and Egypt.”
India and Egypt share a longstanding and cordial defense relationship, which has gained renewed momentum in recent years. Since the resumption of exchanges in June 2021 following the COVID-19 pandemic, several Indian defense delegations, as well as aircraft and naval ships, have visited Egypt.
In September 2022, Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh visited Egypt, where he met President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi and held talks with then-Defense Minister Mohamed Zaki. That visit resulted in the signing of a bilateral defense cooperation agreement, considered a significant milestone in the strategic partnership.
The defense ties between the two nations have continued to grow through joint exercises and military engagements. In October 2021, the Indian and Egyptian Air Forces conducted their first joint tactical air exercise, ‘Desert Warrior,’ in Cairo. In 2022, an Indian Air Force (IAF) contingent participated in the Egyptian Air Force’s Tactical Leadership Programme with Su-30MKI and C-17 aircraft.
Further expanding cooperation, the two air forces held a joint exercise at an Egyptian airbase in May 2023. India also took part in the high-profile multilateral tri-service exercise ‘Bright Star-2023’ in Egypt, led by U.S. Central Command and the Egyptian Armed Forces.
In June 2024, four IAF Rafale jets participated in a bilateral exercise in Egypt, and the IAF later joined the 8th edition of the Tactical Leadership Programme at Cairo West Airbase. The Egyptian Navy also joined the Indian Navy’s multilateral exercise MILAN in February 2024.
Special Forces cooperation has grown as well, with the third edition of ‘Exercise Cyclone’ taking place in February 2025. Egyptian officials also participated in Aero India 2025, held earlier this year.
Egypt continues to serve as a critical transit point for Indian military aircraft and naval ships traveling to and from Europe and the Atlantic. In recent years, numerous IAF aircraft and Indian Navy vessels have visited or passed through Egypt as part of deployment rotations and multinational military exercises.
The latest visit by the Indian delegation reflects the continued commitment by both countries to expand their defense partnership and foster long-term strategic cooperation. (Source: IANS)
