New Delhi [India], February 5 (ANI): India is exploring opportunities for expanded defense collaboration during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s upcoming visit to Malaysia, including the potential sale of Dornier aircraft, as well as cooperation on the maintenance of Scorpene submarines and Su-30 fighter aircraft, the Ministry of External Affairs said on Thursday.
Speaking at a media briefing in the national capital ahead of the Prime Minister’s visit scheduled for February 7–8, Secretary (East) P. Kumaran outlined several promising areas of defense cooperation.
“There is a lot of promise as far as defense cooperation is concerned. We are looking at the sale of Dornier aircraft. Malaysia also has Scorpene submarines, and they are looking at opportunities to collaborate, especially in terms of midlife upgrades and retrofitting,” Kumaran said.
Responding to a media query, he noted that both India and Malaysia operate Su-30 aircraft and added that India has offered proposals for their modification, upgradation, and midlife maintenance.
Kumaran also indicated the possibility of Indian shipyards supplying naval platforms to Malaysia. “We are also looking at potential for the supply of naval platforms by Indian shipyards. These are areas that look promising, and we hope to be able to make progress on them,” he said.
India-Malaysia defense relations have steadily strengthened over the years. In an earlier bilateral brief, the MEA noted that the Memorandum of Understanding on Defense Cooperation signed in 1993 remains the cornerstone of bilateral defense ties, enabling cooperation in joint ventures, joint development projects, procurement, logistics and maintenance support, and training.
On Prime Minister Modi’s forthcoming visit, Kumaran said it comes within a year and a half of the elevation of bilateral ties to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership during the state visit of Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim to India in August 2024. He said the visit reflects India’s strong commitment to relations with Malaysia, a key partner in India’s Act East Policy, Vision MAHASAGAR, and the Indo-Pacific vision.
He added that the visit will also provide an opportunity to enhance engagement with the ASEAN region, given Malaysia’s role as a founding member and its chairmanship of ASEAN in 2025. Prime Minister Modi is expected to hold bilateral discussions with his Malaysian counterpart, during which both leaders will review progress under the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, particularly in priority areas such as trade, investment, defense, security, semiconductors, digital technologies, renewable energy, education, healthcare, and people-to-people exchanges.
On proposed agreements, Kumaran said discussions are ongoing and subject to confirmation as the visit approaches. He outlined possible memorandums of understanding in areas including disaster management, audiovisual co-production, standards for training and certification of seafarers, renewal of cooperation on UN peacekeeping, semiconductor cooperation, anti-corruption measures, collaboration between audit institutions, cooperation between National Security Council secretariats, healthcare, and technical and vocational training.
Addressing cooperation in the semiconductor sector, Kumaran said Malaysia has a strong ecosystem, with nearly 30 percent of its exports linked to semiconductors and related products. He noted that Malaysia brings decades of experience in the sector and that India is working toward a multilayered collaboration through a government-to-government MoU, industry-led partnerships, and joint research and development. This includes cooperation on fabrication facilities and assembly and testing centers, with Indian companies also expressing interest in working with Malaysian counterparts.
Prime Minister Modi will visit Kuala Lumpur at the invitation of Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim. He last visited Malaysia in 2015, when bilateral relations were elevated to a strategic partnership. Kumaran said the upcoming visit underscores India’s continued commitment to strengthening ties with Malaysia under the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership framework.
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