During his visit to Morocco, Defense Minister Rajnath Singh is participating in bilateral talks with Moroccan officials. A key event of his trip is the opening of India’s first overseas defense manufacturing plant in Casablanca. This visit highlights the growing defense cooperation between New Delhi and Rabat.
India considers Morocco a strategic partner in its aim to expand defense exports throughout Africa. This overseas defense factory will allow India to rapidly increase its defense exports to African nations.
The new defense manufacturing unit in Morocco is a collaboration between the Indian company Tata and the Moroccan military. The primary focus of the unit is to manufacture the 8×8 Wheeled Armored Platform (WhAP) military vehicle. These vehicles are designed to operate effectively on various terrains, including aquatic environments.
The unit will begin by producing vehicles for the Moroccan army. It will later expand production to sell vehicles to other African countries. This initiative is significant because it represents the first African factory producing defense products for India, supporting India’s self-reliance goals. The unit anticipates producing roughly 100 vehicles annually and will generate approximately 350 jobs. Furthermore, some components of the WhAP will be manufactured in India as well.