Rajnath Singh Inaugurates Tata’s Armoured Vehicle Plant in Morocco

Rajnath to Inaugurate TASL’s Armoured Vehicle Manufacturing Unit in his Maiden Visit to Morocco

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Defence Minister Rajnath Singh is set to undertake a pivotal two-day official visit to Morocco commencing September 22, a move emblematic of India’s deepening strategic and defence engagement with the North African kingdom.

A highlight of the visit will be the inauguration off Tata Advanced Systems Maroc’s state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in Berrechid for the Wheeled Armoured Platform (WhAP) 8x8. This plant represents India’s inaugural defence manufacturing footprint on the African continent a landmark achievement under the aegis of the Aatmanirbhar Bharat initiative. According to the Ministry of Defence, this development underscores the expanding global imprint of India’s defence industrial ecosystem.

During his sojourn, Minister Singh will engage in high-level bilateral deliberations with his Moroccan counterpart, Abdellatif Loudiyi, focusing on fortifying cooperation across defence, security, and industrial spheres. Further, discussions with Morocco’s Minister of Industry and Trade, Ryad Mezzour, will explore avenues for industrial and technological collaboration, with a particular emphasis on defence manufacturing.

A key anticipated outcome of the visit is the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Defence Cooperation, which will institutionalise frameworks for sustained engagement. The MoU is expected to encompass military training, capacity-building initiatives, defence exchanges, and industrial partnerships, thereby cementing a strategic template for bilateral cooperation.

The Ministry of Defence noted that Indian Navy vessels have maintained regular port calls to Casablanca in recent years, and this agreement is poised to further consolidate maritime collaboration between the two nations.

In addition to official engagements, Minister Singh will meet with members of the Indian diaspora in Rabat, acknowledging their role in nurturing robust people-to-people connections.

Bilateral relations between India and Morocco have witnessed renewed vigor since the landmark summit between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and His Majesty King Mohammed VI during the India-Africa Forum in 2015. The Defence Minister’s visit is expected to inject fresh momentum into this evolving partnership, particularly across defence and strategic domains, further reinforcing India’s presence on the African continent.