29th December, 2024
India-Malaysia Defence relations have steadily grown over the years. The MoU on Defence Cooperation signed in 1993 is the cornerstone of defence relations between the two countries which allows for widening the scope of existing bilateral cooperation to include joint ventures, joint development projects, procurement, logistic and maintenance support and training. Amendment to the MoU was signed in July 2023, during the visit by RM to Malaysia. First regional office of HAL was also inaugurated in Kuala Lumpur during the visit.
The 12th edition of the MIDCOM took place on 19 Sep 2023 at New Delhi. The meeting was co-chaired by Defence Secretary Giridhar Aramane and Deputy Secretary General (Policy), Malaysia Mohd Yani bin Daud. Regular Staff Talks between the services at apex level have been extremely successful.
Indian Navy ships regularly pay port visits to Malaysia, which provides opportunity to both navies to interact and engage with each other and also foster bonds of lasting friendship.
India has been a regular participant at the Langkawi International Maritime and Aerospace Exhibition (LIMA) and Defence Services Asia (DSA) Exhibition in Malaysia.
During the recent visit by Hon’ble PM of Malaysia to India, both sides agreed to further enhance this cooperation. It will help the delegation companies showcase their product and capabilities & explore defence export opportunities in Malaysia. In view of the ongoing modernisation programme of the Malaysian Armed Forces, and the need to upgrade and replace their aging equipment, the Malaysian side is looking at multiple equipment inductions and plans for large scale procurement.
Indian Defence Industry can play a big role in this, considering capability to produce state of the art equipment. In the previous edition of the Mini Defence Expo conducted on 22 Feb 2024 a number of positive and promising leads were obtained.
In Malaysian system, only the local companies can participate in the tendering process, hence any Indian company desirous of participating need to team up with a local Malaysian company. The key here is to find a suitable partner, who can pitch in and uphold the interest of the company.
The Department of Defence Production, Ministry of Defence & Federation of Indian Chambers & Commerce Industry (FICCI) in association with Indian High Commission in Malaysia are facilitating the FICCI Mission to Mini Defence Expo Cum Defence Industry Symposium in Malaysia scheduled on 16 January 2025 at Renaissance Hotel and Convention Centre, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
The ‘Mini defence Expo Cum Defence Industry Symposium’ provides an apt platform to find matching areas of cooperation and form such partners. The activity offers an excellent opportunity for interaction with high-ranking officials from the Malaysian Ministry of Defence (MoD) and Armed Forces, providing a platform for meaningful discussions and potential collaboration. It also facilitates networking opportunities with defence industries from Malaysia and other ASEAN countries. Foreign Defence attaches from ASEAN countries will be invited to attend, enhancing the international exchange and strengthening partnerships within the region.
Mini Defence Expo Cum Defence Industry Symposium will feature a range of activities, including B2B (Business-to-Business) and B2G (Business-to-Government) meetings, seminars, and exhibitions, aimed at fostering productive engagements between industry leaders and government representatives.
The following product categories are of particular interest to the Malaysian side:
Naval vessels and spare parts
Long-range radars
Missiles and ammunition (all types)
UAVs, drones, and unmanned systems
Electronic warfare, communication, and cyber security equipment
Vehicles and spare parts
Aircraft, helicopters, and spare parts
Protective gear and protection systems
Maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) of existing Malaysian equipment and systems
Interested companies are encouraged to register and confirm their participation by January 3, 2025. For further queries regarding the delegation may connect with Col Sanjeev Poonia (Retd), Director, at M: 9968773272; E: sanjeev.poonia@ficci.com.
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