Mumbai (TDI): The United Kingdom on Thursday announced a £350 million ($468 million) agreement to supply the Indian Army with British-made lightweight missiles, underscoring a major expansion of defense and strategic cooperation between the two nations.
The announcement coincided with a meeting in Mumbai between British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and his Indian counterpart, Narendra Modi, where the two leaders also hailed the growing commercial opportunities following the conclusion of a new trade deal.
According to a statement from the UK government, the contract covers the sale of Lightweight Multirole Missiles (LMMs) produced by Thales in Northern Ireland. The agreement is expected to safeguard around 700 jobs at the company’s Belfast plant, which also produces the same missile systems currently being supplied to Ukraine.
“The deal paves the way for a broader complex-weapons partnership between the UK and India, which both governments are now negotiating,” the statement noted.
The accord comes as Prime Minister Starmer makes defense exports a central pillar of his government’s economic growth agenda. He has pledged to increase defense spending in line with NATO targets and to bolster Britain’s industrial base through major international contracts, including a recently signed $13.5 billion frigate deal with Norway.
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In a parallel announcement, both governments also confirmed progress in naval technology cooperation, signing the next phase of a joint initiative to develop electric propulsion systems for naval vessels, an agreement valued at £250 million in its initial stage.
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The missile contract and naval pact together mark a significant deepening of bilateral defense ties, positioning the UK as a long-term technology and security partner for India amid its ongoing military modernization drive.
