Global defence major Thales and a subsidiary of Bharat Forge have signed a “Strategic Alliance Agreement” to explore collaboration on both unguided and laser-guided variants of Thales’ combat-proven 70-mm rocket systems to help enhance the operational readiness of the Indian armed forces, officials said on Thursday.
The 70-mm rocket systems of Thales are already in use by the Indian armed forces, they said.
The European firm announced the partnership on Thursday amid the ongoing official visit of Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever to India.
Partnership to support local production and integration
“As part of this collaboration, Thales will leverage its long-standing partnership with India and contribute its global expertise in 2.75-inch/70-mm rockets and launchers developed in Belgium, while KSSL will utilise its local manufacturing and testing facilities to support production and integration of components from Thales’ qualified supply chain, ensuring international quality standards,” the firm said in a statement.
Thales and Kalyani Strategic Systems Limited (KSSL), the wholly-owned defence subsidiary of Bharat Forge Limited, signed a “Strategic Alliance Agreement to explore collaboration on both the unguided and laser-guided variants of Thales’ 70-mm rocket systems, which are already in use by the Indian armed forces,” it said.
The partnership marks a significant step in strengthening India-Belgium defence cooperation while advancing India’s ambition to become a globally competitive defence manufacturing hub, the Paris-based firm said.
By combining Thales’ advanced rocket technologies and global market reach with KSSL’s established expertise in defence manufacturing, system integration and industrialisation, the companies will create an “indigenous capability” to address domestic requirements and support international opportunities, the statement said.
Thales highlights 70-mm rocket capabilities
Thales Belgium is a 100 per cent subsidiary of the company Thales Group. It combines a strong local industrial footprint with leading expertise in defence, cybersecurity, aerospace and advanced technologies. It is a European leader in 70mm rocket systems, offering standard and laser-guided solutions and developing cost-effective counter-UAS capabilities, designed to defeat drones and drone swarms, the statement said.
The global company has a presence in India since 1953, and its India office is headquartered in Noida.
“Trusted by 70 armed forces across 55 countries, Thales’ 70-mm solutions support multi-role mission flexibility and multi-platform integration across air, land, and maritime domains, including rotary-wing platforms such as the Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH-WSI) and the Light Combat Helicopter (LCH), helping enhance operational readiness and combat superiority,” it said.
In the new era of asymmetric warfare, advanced variants of Thales’ 70 mm rockets are increasingly well suited to counter-drone missions, delivering reliable and scalable effectiveness against evolving aerial threats, the firm said.
Focus on indigenous defence capabilities
“The collaboration reflects both companies’ commitment to developing sovereign defence capabilities in India through technology transfer, local value creation and skill development. It also reinforces India’s growing role as a trusted partner in the global defence supply chain, supporting the vision of ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’ and ‘Make in India for the World’ as well as reinforcing the broader India-Belgium defence partnership,” the statement said.
Ankur Kanaglekar, vice president of Thales in India, said, “Thales has partnered with India for decades and this collaboration with KSSL is a testament to our deep and long-standing engagement with the local defence ecosystem. By combining our combat-proven 70mm rocket expertise from Belgium with KSSL’s engineering and manufacturing strengths, we are co-creating capabilities that will enhance India’s operational readiness and advance its vision of self-reliance in critical defence technologies.” Neelesh Tungar, CEO, Kalyani Strategic Systems Ltd, said, “By combining Thales’ proven technologies with Kalyani Strategic Systems’ advanced industrial ecosystem including our upcoming Energetics facility in Andhra Pradesh, this strategic partnership lays the foundation for indigenous production of next-generation rocket systems”.
“Beyond strengthening the operational readiness of the Indian armed forces, it advances the vision of ‘Make in India for the World,’ positioning India as a globally competitive hub for advanced defence technologies,” the CEO was quoted as saying in the statement.