Rajnath Singh, the defence minister, on Tuesday officially opened Hindustan Aeronautics Limited’s (HAL) first-ever overseas regional marketing office in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, as part of a significant defence export outreach initiative.

The facilities would not only make it easier for India and Malaysia to work closely together on defence projects, but they will also act as a centre for HAL’s involvement with the rest of South-East Asia and as a window for other Indian defence Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs).

It also recognises defence exports as a key pillar of sustainable growth of the Indian defence industry.

“As the first overseas office of HAL, it symbolizes the potential for closer defence industrial collaboration between India and Malaysia and also, the South East Asian Region,” tweeted Singh after the inauguration.
As reported by IndiaNarrative.com, India and Malaysia agreed on Monday to establish the SU-30 Forum and a Strategic Affairs Working Group to increase cooperation between the defence ministries of the two nations.

Both countries have also signed a ‘Letter of Exchange’ to amend the Defence Cooperation Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) that was signed in 1993.

It was also decided that senior officers and military personnel from both countries will now take forward defence-related matters using the Strategic Affairs Working Group platform to boost cooperation, majorly via inter-forces training, defence science, technology and industry.

On the final day of his Malaysia visit, the Defence Minister also interacted with the Indian diaspora at two seperate events.

Malaysia is home to the second largest members of the Persons of Indian Origin and has a significant presence of the NRI community.

During the event, Singh appreciated the rich legacy of Indian classical art tradition in Malaysia as witnessed in the presentations of Odissi dance as well as the Carnatic and Hindustani music performances by renowned Malaysian artistes.
At another community function, Singh highlighted that the country’s prestige and stature on the global stage had increased under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He acknowledged the role of the Indian diaspora in the growth story of India and encouraged them to work honestly for the shared prosperity of India and Malaysia, underlining the spirit of ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’.

Singh also paid a visit to the Ramakrishna Mission in Petaling Jaya and presented flowers to the Swami Vivekananda statue there, which Prime Minister Modi unveiled in November 2015. Additionally, he went to the grounds of the famous Batu Caves temple and prayed there.