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OPINION OCTOBER 10, 2025 | The Indian Eye 10
Defence Contours of India-UK Vision
2035: Opportunities and Challenges
India and the UK launched the Vision 2035, which includes a 10-year Defence Industrial Roadmap focused on
co-design, co-development, and co-production of advanced technologies. The roadmap highlights collaboration in
jet engines, naval propulsion, underwater systems, and directed-energy weapons, reflecting a shift from buyer–seller
ties to joint innovation. Vision 2035 signals a durable framework for deepened strategic and industrial cooperation
SHAYESTA NISHAT AHMED (DSTL), strengthening cooperation
in research in advanced technologies.
rime Minister Narendra Modi Later that year, the UK–India Tech-
and the Prime Minister of the nology Security Initiative (TSI) was
PUnited Kingdom (UK), Keir launched, targeting collaboration in
Starmer, on 24 July 2025, signed the critical technologies such as Artificial
Comprehensive Economic Trade Intelligence (AI), quantum comput-
Agreement (CETA) and launched the ing, and semiconductors.
India-UK Vision 2035 during the visit The UK’s ‘tilt’ to the Indo-Pa-
of Prime Minister Modi to London. cific (cited in the Integrated Review
The launch marks a pivotal step in el- 2021 and its 2023 Refresh and India’s
evating the bilateral Comprehensive growing strategic assertiveness pro-
Strategic Partnership (CSP), under the vided the impetus for Vision 2035.
guiding philosophy of BRISK (Busi- Preceding markers included the Roy-
ness, Research, Innovation, Science al Navy’s Carrier Strike Group visit
and Technology, and Knowledge). to India in 2021 and the 2+2 Foreign
The vision has provisions for reg- and Defence Ministerial Dialogue
ular Prime Ministerial engagement initiation in 2023. These develop-
and annual implementation reviews Prime Minister Narendra Modi meets Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Keir Starmer, in ments collectively underscored the
at the Foreign Minister level. Central need for a roadmap with binding and
to this vision is the finalisation of the London on July 24 (Narendra Modi FB/ANI Photo) measurable commitments, culminat-
defence industrial roadmap, aimed ing in Vision 2035.
at fostering joint efforts in co-design, icy of diversifying defence partner- passes joint training and operational
co-development, and co-production ships. Launching a 10-year Defence interoperability today. As a result, DEFENCE DIMENSION OF
of defence technologies. These col- Industrial Roadmap aims to deepen both countries have regular bilater- VISION 2035
laborative efforts are intended to bilateral cooperation through joint al exercises across domains: Ajeya
meet the growing defence require- research, technology co-development, Warrior (Army, since 2005), Konkan ndia and the UK launched the
ments of both nations while also ad- and enhanced interoperability. The (Navy, since 2004), and Indradhanush Defence Partnership–India (DP-
dressing global market demands. roadmap prioritises co-development, (Air Force, since 2006), which have II) during the 2025 Aero India
The growing imperative for Eu- collaborative research, and innova- strengthened mutual familiarity in bat- event, which marked a significant step
ropean nations to ramp up defence tion in defence technologies, empha- talion-level drills, ship manoeuvres, in institutionalising bilateral defence
expenditure, particularly in response sising supply chain resilience, man- and air-to-air operations. The 2015 cooperation. Building on this frame-
to the Ukrainian conflict, has com- ufacturing of advanced weapons, jet Defence and International Security work, both countries have expanded
pelled major powers to reassess their and naval propulsion systems, and im- Partnership (DISP) institutionalised collaboration in the Defence Indus-
strategic alignments and increase proved operational readiness across high-level dialogue and exchange trial Roadmap, launched during PM
their defence expenditure while re- domains. Against this backdrop, this mechanisms. Consequently, the 2019 Modi’s 2025 visit to London. The ten-
ducing overdependence on tradition- Brief examines the defence dimen- Memorandum of Understanding year industrial roadmap establishes
al partners. This shift coincides with sion of Vision 2035, situating it with- (MoU) on Defence Technology and a time-bound agreement of deeper
the UK’s broader post-Brexit realign- in the historical evolution of bilateral Industrial Capacity Cooperation and collaborations in ‘jet engine technol-
ment, whereas India continues to pur- ties, analysing its key components and the 2021 Roadmap 2030 underscored ogies, maritime security, underwater
sue greater self-reliance and expand strategic significance, and identifying defence collaboration as a central systems and direct energy weapons.’
its footprint in global defence exports. the challenges that could affect its im- pillar of the bilateral partnership. Rolls-Royce has offered co-pro-
The National Security Strategy of the plementation. Subsequently, in 2022, the UK duction and technology transfer under
UK, released in early 2025, referred included India in its Open Gener- the Jet Engine Advanced Core Tech-
to the UK’s interest in building a con- HISTORICAL EVOLUTION al Export License (OGEL) regime, nologies (JEACT) initiative, includ-
crete strategic partnership with India. facilitating access to niche and du- ing full intellectual property sharing
This was reciprocated by PM Modi OF INDIA–UK DEFENCE al-use technologies. By early 2024, a commitments. This marks a historic
while referring to India’s “commit- COOPERATION Letter of Arrangement (LoA) was shift toward autonomy in aero-engine
ment to building a ‘high-scoring solid signed between India’s Defence Re- technologies, complementing India’s
partnership’” with the UK. he India–UK defence engage- search and Development Organisa- parallel GE F-414 agreement with the
India’s growing engagement ment is deeply rooted in his- tion (DRDO) and the UK’s Defence United States. For India, this diversi-
with the UK reflects its broader pol- Ttorical linkages and encom- Science and Technology Laboratory Continued on next page... >>
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