The Minister Delegate in charge of the National Defense Administration, Abdeltif Loudiyi, welcomed the Indian ambassador, Sanjay Rana, yesterday in Rabat. According to the Indian diplomatic mission, the two officials discussed ways to strengthen bilateral cooperation in the defense sector. Ambassador Sanjay Rana met with H.E. Mr. Abdeltif Loudyi, Minister Delegate to the Head of Government in charge of the National Defense Administration of the Kingdom of Morocco. They discussed ways to enhance bilateral cooperation in the field of… pic.twitter.com/zrGr8W0hRH — India in Morocco (@indembrabat) May 29, 2025 This meeting follows the visit in December 2024 of representatives from the Indian defense industry to Morocco for the India-Morocco defense industry seminar. On that occasion, Minister Loudiyi highlighted Morocco's potential as an ideal destination for Indian defense companies, citing «the absence of bureaucracy and profitability for Indian businesses». He also recalled that Morocco had adopted a new legal framework for the defense sector in August 2020. In September 2024, Morocco's National Defense Administration and Tata Advanced Systems Limited (TASL), a subsidiary of the international Tata Group, signed a strategic partnership for the local production of the WhAP 8x8 combat vehicle at the Tata Advanced Systems Morocco (TASM) plant. Morocco's defense ties with India have not prevented it from engaging with Pakistan, New Delhi's traditional rival. The Royal Armed Forces (FAR) and the Pakistani army have established a bilateral cooperation program, including joint training exercises in mid-April between FAR special forces units and their Pakistani counterparts in Cherrat. In October 2023, the FAR also took part in an international military exercise hosted in Pakistan. Morocco has maintained a neutral stance amid recent tensions between New Delhi and Islamabad. These clashes have underscored the capabilities of the Pakistani JF-17 fighter jet, an aircraft the FAR has been considering for acquisition since 2016. For the record, during the Council of Ministers meeting on July 16, 2022, chaired by King Mohammed VI, Morocco appointed a military attaché to India.
