India-Romania defence manufacturing ties have huge growth scope: MEA
Synopsis
President Murmu's State Visit to Bucharest has unlocked a new chapter in India-Romania ties — with defence manufacturing, drone co-production, UPI adoption, and multilateral climate alliances all on the table. The visit signals India's strategic push to deepen partnerships with Eastern European NATO members beyond traditional trade.
Key Takeaways
MEA Secretary Sibi George said there is 'huge scope' for India-Romania collaboration in defence manufacturing, maritime security, and cyber security .
Three MoUs were signed during President Droupadi Murmu's State Visit to Bucharest on 25 July 2025 .
Indian companies are exploring co-development and co-production in civil and defence aeronautics and next-generation drone technologies .
Romania strongly condemned the Pahalgam terror attack and backed India's counter-terrorism stance.
President Murmu invited Romania to adopt UPI and join the CDRI and Global Biofuels Alliance .
Romania facilitated Indian student evacuations from Ukraine during Operation Ganga in 2022 .
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Friday, 25 July 2025 said there is significant scope to deepen defence manufacturing collaboration between India and Romania, as President Droupadi Murmu concluded a landmark State Visit to Bucharest. The assessment was delivered by MEA Secretary (West) Sibi George at a special media briefing in the Romanian capital.
Key Areas of Defence Cooperation
Secretary George identified defence manufacturing, industrial collaboration, defence technologies, maritime security, and cyber security as priority domains for future bilateral engagement. He noted that defence cooperation is increasingly becoming a cornerstone of the India-Romania bilateral partnership, pointing to the recent meeting of the Joint Committee on Defence Cooperation in May 2025 as evidence of growing institutional momentum.
Several Indian companies are reportedly exploring co-development and co-production opportunities in the defence sector, including in civil and defence aeronautics and next-generation drone technologies — areas where both nations see complementary strengths.
MoUs Signed During the State Visit
Three Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) were signed during President Murmu's visit. The first covers a Programme on Cooperation (PoC) on Science and Technology for 2026–29, between Romania's National Authority for Research and India's Department of Science and Technology, targeting joint projects in natural sciences, engineering and technology, medical and health sciences, and agricultural sciences.
A second MoU was signed in the field of sports, between India's Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports and Romania's National Sports Agency. Secretary George highlighted Romania's established expertise in gymnastics and swimming as areas of particular training collaboration potential.
Terrorism, UPI, and Multilateral Initiatives
President Murmu and her Romanian counterpart Nicusor Dan also discussed the global fight against terrorism. Secretary George noted that Romania had strongly condemned the Pahalgam terror attack and expressed solidarity with India's counter-terrorism efforts.
President Murmu invited Romania to explore accepting India's Unified Payments Interface (UPI), describing it as a measure that could benefit both trade and tourism. Romania is already a member of the International Solar Alliance (ISA), an India-led multilateral initiative, and President Murmu extended an invitation to join the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI) and the Global Biofuels Alliance (GBA) as well.
Parliamentary Engagement and Operation Ganga
President Murmu met Senate President Mircea Abrudean and Chamber of Deputies President Sorin Grindeanu at the Parliament Palace in Bucharest, and also engaged with members of the India-Romania Parliamentary Friendship Group. She emphasised that as vibrant parliamentary democracies, both nations should deepen institutional exchanges to share experiences and best practices.
President Murmu also formally thanked the Romanian government for its support during Operation Ganga in 2022, when Romania facilitated the evacuation of Indian students from Ukraine. Before departing, the President is scheduled to interact with the Indian community in Romania on Saturday.
Point of View
Where NATO membership meets cost-competitive industrial capacity. The emphasis on drone co-production and aeronautics is significant: India needs credible co-development partners as it reduces dependence on legacy suppliers. However, the MoUs signed remain framework agreements; the real test will be whether joint defence projects move from expression of interest to actual production lines. Romania's historic strengths in gymnastics and swimming are a welcome soft-power footnote, but it is the defence and digital connectivity agenda — UPI, cyber security, drone tech — that carries strategic weight.
NationPress
24 Jul 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What was the outcome of President Murmu's State Visit to Romania?
President Droupadi Murmu's State Visit to Bucharest resulted in three MoUs covering science and technology cooperation for 2026–29, sports collaboration, and broader discussions on defence manufacturing, counter-terrorism, and digital connectivity including UPI adoption.
Which defence areas are India and Romania looking to collaborate on?
According to MEA Secretary Sibi George, the priority areas include defence manufacturing, industrial co-development, defence technologies, maritime security, and cyber security. Indian companies are specifically exploring co-production in civil and defence aeronautics and next-generation drone technologies.
What MoUs were signed during the India-Romania State Visit?
Three MoUs were signed: a Programme on Cooperation on Science and Technology for 2026–29 between Romania's National Authority for Research and India's Department of Science and Technology; a sports cooperation agreement between the two countries' sports ministries; and a third agreement covering bilateral cooperation areas discussed during the visit.
Why did President Murmu thank Romania during the visit?
President Murmu thanked Romania for its support during Operation Ganga in 2022, when Romania helped facilitate the evacuation of Indian students stranded in Ukraine following the outbreak of conflict there.
What multilateral initiatives did India invite Romania to join?
President Murmu invited Romania to join the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI) and the Global Biofuels Alliance (GBA). Romania is already a member of the International Solar Alliance (ISA), an India-led multilateral initiative.
