Rajnath Singh to visit Germany today, submarine deal, AI and cybersecurity on agenda

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will begin a three-day official visit to Germany on Monday aimed at strengthening bilateral defence cooperation, expanding industrial partnerships and advancing discussions on a major submarine procurement programme for the Indian Navy.

During the April 21–23 visit, Singh will hold wide-ranging talks in Berlin with German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius and other senior leaders. According to the defence ministry, the discussions will focus on enhancing defence industrial collaboration , strengthening military-to-military engagement and exploring cooperation in emerging areas such as artificial intelligence, cyber security and drone technologies .

India and Germany are expected to sign a Defence Industrial Cooperation Roadmap that will provide a structured framework for joint development and co-production of military equipment and deeper collaboration between defence industries of the two countries. An implementing arrangement for cooperation in training related to UN peacekeeping operations is also likely to be signed in the presence of the two defence ministers.

A key issue likely to feature prominently in the talks is India’s Project-75I submarine programme , under which the country plans to acquire six next-generation conventional submarines for the Indian Navy. The project, estimated at about ₹70,000–₹90,000 crore, is currently under negotiations between Germany’s ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems and India’s Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Ltd .

The submarines are expected to be built in India with significant technology transfer and will incorporate air-independent propulsion (AIP) systems , allowing them to remain submerged for longer periods and significantly improving stealth and operational capability. The programme is considered one of the largest defence manufacturing initiatives under the Make in India initiative and is aimed at modernising India’s ageing submarine fleet.

During the visit, Singh is also expected to interact with senior representatives of the German defence industry to promote joint development, investment and co-production opportunities with Indian companies.

The trip will also provide an opportunity to review ongoing defence cooperation between India and Germany and identify new areas of collaboration. It will be the first visit by an Indian defence minister to Germany in seven years . The last such visit was undertaken by Nirmala Sitharaman in February 2019, while Pistorius visited India in June 2023 for extensive discussions with Singh on expanding defence ties.