India and Armenia Sign MoU to Expand Defence Innovation and Industrial Cooperation

NEW DELHI/YEREVAN — India and Armenia have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to facilitate cooperation in research, development, innovation, and shared production within the defence sector.

According to the Ministry of Defence, Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh met with Armenia's Minister of High Tech Industry, Davit Tadevosyan, in Yerevan to formalize the agreement. The MoU reaffirms the commitment of both countries to expand bilateral defence industrial cooperation in areas of mutual interest.

Defence Secretary Singh arrived in Yerevan on a two-day visit. Upon his arrival, he was received by the Ambassador of India to Armenia, Nilakshi Saha Sinha, alongside senior representatives of the Armenian Defence Ministry.

During his visit, the Defence Secretary also held discussions with Armenian Defence Minister Suren Papikyan and Lieutenant General Edvard Asryan, Chief of the General Staff of Armenia. Both sides explored new avenues to strengthen bilateral defence engagement, focusing on defence research and development and industrial cooperation.

This visit builds upon ongoing diplomatic and military exchanges between the two nations. In April, a high-level Armenian military delegation led by Lieutenant General Asryan visited New Delhi to discuss bilateral defence cooperation with Indian officials, including talks with Defence Secretary Singh and Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Marshal A P Singh.

"The formalization of this defence MoU between India and Armenia opens up structured avenues for bilateral industrial cooperation and joint technological research. For the broader business and manufacturing ecosystem, inter-governmental pacts of this nature create long-term opportunities for specialized engineering firms, technology innovators, and manufacturing enterprises looking to scale their capabilities across international markets." — Dr. Shishir Gupta, Founder & CEO, StartupLanes