Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh the last week inaugurated the Regional Marketing Office in Kuala Lumpur during his ongoing three-day visit to Malaysia, as part of a move to facilitate close defense industrial collaboration between the two countries.
“The Regional Marketing Office will also serve as a hub for the HAL’s engagement with the wider South-East Asian region and act as a window for other Indian defense PSUs,” a statement by the Defence Ministry said.
Another reason for the opening of the office was the potential to service and maintain the Su-30 fleet of the Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF), according to media reports.
HAL is one of the largest producers of Su-30s and was also looking to supply spare parts to the RMAF. This is not the first time that HAL has set up its marketing office in Malaysia. In August 2022, while eyeing a deal for Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas, which it eventually lost out to the South Koreans, the Indian aerospace and defense company established an overseas marketing office in Kuala Lumpur.
Rajnath Singh, meanwhile, also met with his Malaysian counterpart Dato’ Seri Mohamad Hasan. During the talks, both sides discussed initiatives to further expand bilateral defense ties, with a particular focus on identifying ways to strengthen industrial cooperation.
The two leaders reaffirmed their commitment to fully implement the Enhanced Strategic Partnership, the defense ministry statement said.
Singh also highlighted the potential of the Indian defense industry with the capacity and capability to cooperate with the Malaysian Armed Forces in its inventory modernization and maintenance plans.
Sources in the defense establishment told ThePrint that the Malaysia office will also cater to other markets in Southeast Asia. They said that HAL is in talks with some countries who have evinced interest in the Tejas as well as helicopters including the Light Combat Helicopter.
Also, on May 24, Viet Nam Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh held a meeting at government headquarters with Mr. Karan Adani, CEO of Adani Ports and Special Economic Zones Limited, a subsidiary of the Adani Group, according to the Government News Portal.
Adani Group is greatly interested in making long-term moves in Vietnam
Mr. Adani said the Group was highly interested in and has spent time studying, researching, and evaluating opportunities in Vietnam and has made a decision to make long-term investments in the country, with total capital of approximately $10 billion, not only in the fields of seaports and logistics but also in energy and digital technology. Among these, Adani hopes to build an eco-friendly seaport ecosystem and invest in wind power and solar energy plants in Vietnam, with total capital of around $3 billion, in line with Vietnam’s development strategy.
