New Delhi, Apr 15 (UNI) Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh on Tuesday called on Defence Minister of Italy Guido Crosetto in Rome, and both held productive discussions aimed at strengthening defence ties as a vital pillar of the strategic partnership between both countries.

During his two-day visit to Rome, Singh co-chaired the 11th India-Italy annual bilateral Joint Defence Committee meeting with his Italian counterpart, Secretary General of Defence Luisa Riccardi, a Defence Ministry statement said.
They discussed a wide range of defence, security and industrial cooperation issues including maritime cooperation and information sharing arrangements between India and Italy with emphasis on Trans Regional Maritime Network. The situation in the Red Sea and Western Indian Ocean Region also came up during the discussions.

The Defence Secretary stressed on closer defence collaboration especially in technology and armament production, which is a priority area for India. He also brought out that the Government of India is proactively building an ecosystem for defence production and innovation within the country through conscious policy initiatives. India has developed a vibrant innovation and industrial ecosystem.

In his keynote address during India-Italy Defence Industry Roundtable, Rajesh Kumar Singh shared his views on how the Indian defence industry has witnessed significant changes, particularly in the past few years through progressive reforms.
He said that these reforms have been marked by the creation of a conducive environment for the growth of the Indian Industry through transparency, predictability and Ease of Doing Business.

An MoU between Society of Indian Defence Manufacturers (SIDM) and the Federation of Italian Companies for Aerospace, Defence and Security (AIAD) was also signed, marking a significant step toward fostering closer cooperation between the defence industries of both nations.

The Defence Secretary was accompanied by a high-level delegation, comprising senior officials from Service Headquarters, Department of Defence and Department of Defence Production. A substantial industry delegation from SIDM also accompanied the Defence Secretary to foster closer B2B connections between the Indian and Italian defence industries.
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