Kalyani Group and Thales to Develop the Next Generation of Defence Systems Capability in India

Kalyani Group and Thales have formalized a new collaboration for the design, development and manufacture of next generation weapons systems for the Defence and Law Enforcement sectors in India and abroad.   

The collaboration between KSSL and Thales will leverage Thales’s more than 100 years’ experience in the design, development and manufacture of world leading defence systems in Australia.

The agreement was signed onboard the HMAS Canberra in a call in India, by MKK Iyer, Vice President (Defence), Kalyani Group and Emmanuel de Roquefeuil, VP and Country Director India, Thales.

Rajinder Singh Bhatia, President & CEO (Defence & Aerospace), Kalyani Group, said, “We are very excited to enter the military weapon systems segment. This alliance will combine Thales’s advance technology, knowledge and experience as an OEM with world class design, development and manufacturing capabilities of the Kalyani Group. Our cooperation aims to provide indigenously manufactured solutions for both the Indian and international markets, thereby furthering the ‘Make in India’ initiative of the government.”

“We are very pleased to bring high-end technology from Australia and work in close collaboration with the Kalyani Group for the design and development of next generation defence systems including variants of the F90 assault rifle already in service with the Australian Defence Forces. This new collaboration will help us serve India as well as international markets. This partnership is the result of our ambition to support soldiers on operations with next generation, cutting edge technology and reaffirms our commitment to India,” said Kevin Wall, VP vehicles and tactical systems, Thales.

About Kalyani Group

Kalyani Group is a 2.5 billion USD multinational conglomerate with high technology, engineering and manufacturing capability across critical sectors such as Defence & Aerospace, Engineering Steel, Automotive, Industrial, Renewable Energy, Urban Infrastructure and Specialty Chemicals. The group has been a flag bearer of ‘Make in India’ across sectors including Defence and Aerospace.

Kalyani Strategic Systems Ltd. (KSSL) is the principal company within the Kalyani Group undertaking Defence & Aerospace initiatives. KSSL has emerged from being a traditional supplier of components and subsystems to Indian Defence to becoming a complete system and solutions provider, thus enabling a dedicated and focused approach towards realizing the aim of becoming a leading defence player in the world.

About Thales

The people who make the world go round – they rely on Thales. Our customers come to us with big ambitions: to make life better, to keep us safer. Combining a unique diversity of expertise, talents and cultures, our architects design and deliver extraordinary high technology solutions. Solutions that make tomorrow possible, today. From the bottom of the oceans to the depths of space and cyberspace, we help our customers think smarter and act faster – mastering ever greater complexity at every decisive moment along the way.

Thales generated revenues of €19 billion in 2018 with 80,000 employees in 68 countries.

About Thales in India

Present in India since 1953, Thales is headquartered in New Delhi and has other operational offices and sites spread across Noida, Gurgaon, Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Chennai and Mumbai, among others. Over 1,150 employees are working with Thales in India. Since the beginning, Thales has been playing an essential role in India’s growth story by sharing its technologies and expertise in Defence, Transport, Aerospace and Digital Identity and Security markets.