The United States’s approach to the partners of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and the insistence of what they have to increase their defense budgets have triggered debates within the EU. Although some countries have increased their defense budgets, others in the EU, such as Spain, Belgium and Slovakia, have raised objections due to the economic slowdown. EU member states have also discussed the reduction and reform of European defense and security perspectives. Such a step has been taken was the “European white spouse for preparation for defense”.
White Paper Joint Defense Defense
On March 19, 2025, the high representative of foreign affairs and security policy, Kaja Kallas and the European Commission presented a white paper for European Defense – Readssing 2030 and the Rearm Europe / Readiness 2030 plan. The main objective of the ambitious defense package was to provide financial levers to the EU member states to stimulate an investment overvoltage.(1) The rearmament plan Europe also aims to strengthen pan -European capacities with new financial means, while supervising a new approach to the defense and the identification of the investment needs of various European countries. The document reports the EU defense and security partnership with India in recent years and seeks to strengthen additional cooperation in the fight against traditional and non -traditional threats.(2)
Current status of defense and Indo-UE security
In recent months, two major statements have been made on greater cooperation between India and the EU. The first came with the visit of the president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, India, on February 27 to 28, 2025. During the visit, Von Der Leyen said that the EU was determined to explore a security and defense partnership and expressed its satisfaction with the growing cooperation in the field of defense and security.(3) The second was the European economic and social committee, which stressed that India was a “perfect ally”. He stressed the importance of India’s geostrategic position in Indo-Pacific, an important geopolitical arena for the EU.(4) He also stressed the importance of India and nations in the EU, such as France, Germany, Spain and Sweden, developing their defense ties in recent years.
India and the EU have also focused on other ways of cooperation, such as cybersecurity, counter-terrorism and co-development of technologies. Relations with various EU nations also help to improve India’s relations with the organization, with robust links with France, a great EU nation, Germany and Italy. The relationship is not limited to these nations. However, India’s relations with other nations, such as Romania, Cheche and Poland, also show New Delhi’s interest in improving its links with EU countries.
New cooperation avenues
Although cooperation has been improved at bilateral and organizational levels, there is still room for new improvement in collaboration with the EU. First, India had some successes in the defense export sector. Armenia is an excellent example because it is important to the defense equipment of India. India and the EU can collaborate to produce jointly, focusing on export to the EU as part of their defense cooperation. Such an example could be the export of ammunition, which the white paper has mentioned. It is necessary to urgently reconstruct weapons and ammunition within the EU, which could also be provided to Ukraine. India can promote its own “Made in India” ammunition, which was a success in its manufacture and defense exports.(5) Another equipment that India can put pressure is the Akash missile system, which has experienced significant successes in the recent “Sindoor operation” and hopes to find a market in the EU region.
Second, India can seek to focus on the omnibus package of the defense of the EU. The Omnibus Defense Package initiative sets the foundations for facilitation up to 800 billion euros in defense investments over the next four years, allowing Member States and the industry to react quickly and effectively to increasing threats. The omnibus could provide space to India to collaborate and engage with the EU in defense products transferring and facilitate mutual recognition of certification, if applicable. This would allow Indian defense products to be validated according to EU standards, creating a unified route to access the European market.
Third, India and the EU face the challenges of terrorism, India having undergone a major terrorist attack in Pahalgam in cashmere and the EU constantly targeted by the Islamic State as well as the terrorist attacks of lonely wolves. Both can share intelligence and engage in counter-terrorist exercises to improve their ability to fight terrorism. This can be improved by signing an Information Security Agreement (Soia) between the EU and India, which could help security issues and periodic reciprocal security consultations. India’s interest in joining permanent structured cooperation projects (PESCO) and in negotiating ENOI was welcomed by the President of the EU Commission, Von Der Leyen.
The signing of a Soia could help participate in the defense executives of the EU, such as PESCO. PESCO is a framework based on the Treaty for the 26 member states participating in planning, developing jointly and investing in the development of collaborative capacities and improving the operational preparation and contribution of the EU armed forces.(6) These include projects designed to provide capacity for the use of Member States, in particular to support the common operations and missions of the Security and Defense Policy (CSDP), and they offer member states participating states to cooperate in all areas.(7)
Fourth, India could explore the possibility of engaging with the European Defense Innovation Scheme (EUDIS).(8) The EUDIS are an instrument made in place by the European Defense Fund (EDF) to strengthen defense innovation in the EU. The EUDIS offers a set of instruments for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), including start-ups and other non-traditional actors in the industrial defense ecosystem, in order to ensure more opportunities to access the European Defense Fund. It aims to reduce the entry barriers into the defense field for small players and innovators, focusing on technological preparation and market maturity.(9)
The commitment of India’s innovation with the EU could reproduce its engagement with the United States, where initiatives such as Industry seek to build a defense innovation bridge between the two countries as part of the Critical and Emerging (ICET) initiative. Industry promotes partnerships between the defense companies of the United States and India, alongside incubators, accelerators, investors and universities, supported by the support of American and Indian governments.(10)
Fifth, India has established defense corridors in Uttar Pradesh and Tamil Nadu, which could also be important to attract EU investments. EU countries like France, the United Kingdom and Poland have expressed their interest in investing in these corridors. Rolls-Royce intends to expand its operations to the Tamil Nadu, with plans for a maintenance, repair and revision center (MRO), a research and development study (R&D) and training, as well as a significant extension of its international joint venture on the Private Limited Defense (IAMP) to Hosur, one of the five nodes of the defense Tamil Nadil Nadil Nadil Nadil Nadil.(11)
In 2020, Thales joined the company based in Kanpur MKU to make night vision devices.(12) In 2025, the most important private technology company in Poland, WB Group, through its Indian subsidiary WB Electronics India PVT LTD, intends to establish a production line for its woolen ammunition system for the defense of Uttar Prades at Bataille (TL) in the industrial corridor of the defense of Uttar Pradesh (Updic).(13) In the future, therefore, defense and security cooperation can become the pillar of the India-EU relationship.
The opinions expressed are of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the Manohar Parrikar Idsa or the government of India.
(1) “The commission reveals the white paper for European defense and the plan of Rearm Europe / Readiness 2030”, European Commission, March 19, 2025.
(2) “White Paper for European Defense – Reareté 2030”, European Commission, March 12, 2025, p. 18-19.
(3) “Declaration of managers: visit of Ms. Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission and the college of EU commissioners in India (February 27-28, 2025)”, Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India, February 28, 2025.
(4) “EU-Indian strategic partnership, a new chapter”, European Economic and Social Committee, European Union, April 8, 2025.
(5) Sujan Chinoy,, “The EU’s joint White Paper for Defense Defense 2030: Opportunities for India“”Observe Research Foundation, August 8, 2025.
(6) “About Pesco”, Permanent structured cooperation (PESCO), 2025.
(7) Ibid.
(8) Sujan Chinoy,, “The EU’s joint White Paper for Defense Defense 2030: Opportunities for India“”No. 5
(9) “EU defense innovation scheme (Eudis) “European Union, 2025.
(10) “”Ecosystem of acceleration of the India-US defense (Industry) ”, Defense unit, Ministry of Defense, United States of America, June 2023.
(11) Shine Jacob, “”Visit to the United Kingdom of Stalin: TN Bags Investments in Defense, Renewable, textiles ”, Commercial standardSeptember 3, 2025.
(12) “French firm, the Kanpur MKU to make night vision devices for the armed forces: the Minister of the UP”,, Hindustan timeNovember 24, 2020.
(13) Mayank Singh, “Aero India 2025: The ammunition of Flu of Poland in Poland exposed for the first time”,, The new Indian ExpressFebruary 15, 2025.
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