Muscat: India’s relations with Oman have significantly deepened in recent years and the first ever India-Oman Defence Industrial Seminar held in Muscat on September 24, 2023 showcased the bilateral vibrancy between the two countries.

The seminar provided an opportunity for government owned, and private defence companies from India to come together with officials from the Ministries of Defence, Fisheries & Agriculture, Transport Communication & IT, from Sultanate of Oman to hold productive discussions on cooperation in defence production and procurement.

Sanjay Mehrishi, Deputy Director General (Exports), Ministry of Defence (Department of Defence Production) represented the Indian MoD, who also provided an overview of the advances made by India in the field of defence production. Director General (International Cooperation), Ministry of Defence Sultanate of Oman was the special guest at the seminar. Ambassador of India to Sultanate of Oman, Amit Narang in his address highlighted the traditionally close relations between the two countries and encouraged the participants to engage in constructive collaborations to achieve tangible results beneficial for both the nations.

As it was the first ever physical Seminar on Defence Industrial Collaboration between India and Sultanate of Oman, the seminar received an unprecedented response from Indian companies with 23 Indian public and private companies represented, reflecting the enthusiasm amongst them to partner and collaborate with Oman and to support Sultan’s Armed Forces and Civil Defence Agencies in addressing their requirements.

A wide range of topics related to defence hardware, security systems, cyber security, communication, and niche technologies were covered during the Seminar, which saw the Indian companies presenting their products to the Omani officials. With an array of distinguished industry players from both sides, the Seminar resulted in productive sessions of discussions. The Seminar concluded with several B2G and B2B meetings.