Examine how the India–Republic of Korea defence partnership is moving from procurement to co-development. What constraints and opportunities does this present for *Atmanirbharta* in defence?

India and the Republic of Korea (ROK) raised their ties to a Special Strategic Partnership in 2015 [4]. On the sidelines of the 13th ADMM-Plus in Cebu (October 2026), their defence ministers backed co-development of military technologies and joint industry collaboration [1]. The two countries are moving from buyer and seller towards technology partners, but that move is not yet complete.

From procurement to co-development

• Buying from an Indian firm: In 2024 the MoD signed a ₹7,628.70 crore contract with L&T for K9 VAJRA-T guns under the Buy (Indian) category [2]. Hanwha and L&T then signed a contract for 100 more guns in 2025 [3].
• Industrial framework: A Roadmap for Defence Industries Cooperation was signed in 2020, and Indian and Korean firms signed joint-venture MoUs at Aero India 2025 [3].
• Working together in operations: In 2019 the two sides signed agreements on naval logistics support and defence educational exchanges [5]. In 2024 they exchanged an Air-to-Air Refuelling arrangement [6].

Import → Licence-build (K9) → JV MoUs → Joint design (stated aim)

Fig: Stages of the partnership

Constraints

• Licence production is not joint design: The K9 is a Hanwha design. The official sources do not disclose how much of each gun is made in India or whether the design was transferred [2][3].
• Promises not delivered: The 2015 commitments are still pending: a 2+2 vice-ministerial dialogue, shipyard cooperation, and amending the trade agreement (CEPA) by June 2016 [4].
• Frequent change of ministers: India has dealt with four ROK defence ministers since 2019 [1][5][6]. Annual meetings on summit sidelines cannot sustain technology programmes. No named co-development project was announced at Cebu [1].

Opportunities

• Skills and suppliers: Licence production trains Indian workers and supplier firms. The K9 contract is expected to create over nine lakh man-days of work and involves MSMEs [2].
• Shipbuilding: Korea is strong in shipbuilding, shipyard cooperation was already promised in 2015, and both sides share a maritime security agenda [4][1].
• Using Buy (Indian) as leverage: India can ask for more of the design work to be done in India in future orders [2].

India–ROK ties have moved from simple purchases to building weapons in India, but true joint design is still only an aim. The way forward is to hold the 2+2 dialogue every year and to turn one MoU under the 2020 Roadmap into a funded joint-design project with shared ownership of the design. Shipbuilding is the natural place to start. This would advance Aatmanirbhar Bharat and an "open, free and inclusive" Indo-Pacific [1].