New Delhi, June 8 (IANS) Morocco is seeking to deepen its economic partnership with India by positioning itself as a strategic gateway for Indian industries to access European and African markets.

The North African nation, which has emerged as a major industrial hub and a key supplier of phosphates to India, is inviting greater collaboration in sectors such as defence, automotive, aerospace, green technologies and logistics, according to reports.

The development come at a time when India and Morocco have intensified high-level engagements in recent months.

Last September, Union Minister of State for External Affairs Kirti Vardhan Singh held discussions with visiting Moroccan Secretary of State for Foreign Trade Omar Hejira in New Delhi, with both sides exploring ways to further strengthen bilateral cooperation.

The growing partnership was also underscored by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh’s landmark visit to Morocco, the first-ever by an Indian Defence Minister.

During the visit, India and Morocco signed a Memorandum of Understanding on defence cooperation and held discussions on counter-terrorism, maritime security, cyber defence and capacity building.

A major highlight of the visit was the joint inauguration of Tata Advanced Systems Limited’s defence manufacturing facility in Berrechid by Rajnath Singh and Moroccan Defence Minister Abdelatif Loudyi.

The state-of-the-art facility, spread across 20,000 square metres, will manufacture the indigenously developed Wheeled Armoured Platform (WhAP) 8×8, jointly designed by Tata Advanced Systems and India’s Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).

India and Morocco have also been exploring greater cooperation in trade-oriented sectors such as pharmaceuticals, chemicals and advanced manufacturing.

During his visit to Rabat, Rajnath Singh held talks with Morocco’s Minister of Trade Ryad Mezzour on expanding economic collaboration and investment opportunities.

Morocco’s emergence as a major industrial hub has strengthened its appeal to international investors.

Recently ranked as Africa’s leading industrial economy in the 2025 Africa Industrialisation Index published by the African Development Bank Group, the country has become Africa’s largest automotive exporter and one of the world’s fastest-growing vehicle manufacturing centres.

–IANS

pk