Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh will visit Morocco from September 22-23, 2025, at the invitation of Minister Delegate of National Defence of Morocco Mr. Abdeltif Loudiyi. This visit marks the first-ever visit of a Raksha Mantri to the North African nation. A key highlight includes the inauguration of Tata Advanced Systems Maroc's new manufacturing facility for the Wheeled Armoured Platform (WhAP) 8x8 at Berrechid, the first-ever Indian defence manufacturing plant in Africa. During the visit, Raksha Mantri will hold a bilateral meeting with Mr. Loudiyi and call on Morocco's Minister of Industry and Trade Mr. Ryad Mezzour. He will also interact with the Indian community in Rabat. Both sides are expected to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Cooperation in the field of Defence. The release ID is 2168847, posted on 20 SEP 2025 9:45AM by PIB Delhi.
Key Entities Referenced
Morocco: Country to be visited by Raksha Mantri
Ministry of Defence: The ministry undertaking the visit
Raksha Mantri: The Indian Defence Minister, the key figure in the visit
Aatmanirbhar Bharat: Initiative linked to the growth of India's defence industry
Memorandum of Understanding (MoU): Expected agreement between India and Morocco on cooperation in the field of Defence
Ministry of Defence
Raksha Mantri to Visit Morocco on September 22-23,
2025
Posted On: 20 SEP 2025 9:45AM by PIB Delhi
Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh will undertake a two-day official visit to Morocco from September 22-23,
2025, at the invitation of Minister Delegate of National Defence of Morocco Mr. Abdeltif Loudiyi. This will
mark the first-ever visit of a Raksha Mantri to the North African nation, underscoring the growing strategic
convergence between India and Morocco.
A key highlight of the visit will be the inauguration of Tata Advanced Systems Maroc’s new manufacturing
facility for the Wheeled Armoured Platform (WhAP) 8x8 at Berrechid. This facility is the first-ever Indian
defence manufacturing plant in Africa, which marks an important milestone that reflects the growing global
footprint of India’s defence industry under the Aatmanirbhar Bharat initiative.
During the visit, Raksha Mantri will hold a bilateral meeting with Mr. Loudiyi to strengthen defence,
strategic and industry cooperation. He will also call on Morocco’s Minister of Industry and Trade Mr. Ryad
Mezzour, to explore avenues for industrial collaboration. Shri Rajnath Singh will also interact with the vibrant
Indian community in Rabat during his visit.
Both sides are also expected to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Cooperation in the field of
Defence. The MoU will provide an institutional framework to expand and deepen bilateral defence
engagement, including exchanges, training, and industrial linkages. Indian Navy ships have been making
regular port calls at Casablanca in recent years, and this agreement will further consolidate such ties.
Ties between India and Morocco have gained momentum since His Majesty King Mohammed VI’s meeting
with Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi in 2015 in India. The upcoming visit is expected to add fresh energy
to this partnership, particularly in the defence and strategic sectors.
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(Release ID: 2168847)