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India, Republic of Korea Hold 10th Defence Industries Meeting

India and the Republic of Korea held the 10th Joint Committee Meeting on Defence Industries and Logistics Cooperation in New Delhi, co-chaired with Korea's DAPA.

By Published · 2 min read
India, Republic of Korea Hold 10th Defence Industries Meeting

Why in News

India and the Republic of Korea held the 10th Joint Committee Meeting on Defence Industries and Logistics Cooperation in New Delhi, reviewing defence production ties and bringing leading defence firms of both countries into the discussion.

India and the Republic of Korea carried their defence industrial partnership a step further at the 10th Joint Committee Meeting (JCM) on Defence Industries and Logistics Cooperation, held in New Delhi. The two delegations took stock of how the existing defence engagement is working and looked at where it can be widened, keeping defence production and logistics at the centre of the day's talks.

Who led the talks

The meeting had two co-chairs. Shri Dinesh Mahur, Additional Secretary (Defence Production) in the Ministry of Defence, led the Indian side. Mr Kim Il Dong, Vice Minister of the Defence Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA), led the Korean side. DAPA is the Korean government agency that runs defence acquisition and oversees the country's defence industry.

Mr Seong Ho Lee, Ambassador of the Republic of Korea to India, attended the session. So did Dr Vijay Namdeorao Zade, Joint Secretary (Naval Systems) in the Department of Defence Production, along with senior officers of both governments.

Industry at the table

What set this round apart was that manufacturers sat alongside officials. India was represented by Larsen and Toubro (L&T) and Bharat Earth Movers Limited (BEML). The Korean industry team was made up of Hanwha Aerospace, Hanwha Systems, Korean Air, Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) and DS Navcours. Seating companies inside a government dialogue is meant to turn stated policy into real orders, joint projects and supply arrangements.

Call on the Raksha Rajya Mantri

On the margins of the JCM, the DAPA Vice Minister called on Raksha Rajya Mantri Shri Sanjay Seth, the Minister of State for Defence. Both sides restated their intent to deepen the defence relationship, in industry tie-ups as well as in logistics support.

Why it matters

Logistics cooperation allows friendly armed forces to draw on each other's facilities for supplies, refuelling and repair, which counts during long deployments away from home ports. For an aspirant the pointers here are the edition of the meeting, the host city, the names of the two co-chairs and the full form of DAPA.

Important Facts

Meeting10th India-Republic of Korea Joint Committee Meeting (JCM) on Defence Industries and Logistics Cooperation
VenueNew Delhi
Indian co-chairDinesh Mahur, Additional Secretary (Defence Production), Ministry of Defence
Korean co-chairKim Il Dong, Vice Minister, Defence Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA)
Korean AmbassadorSeong Ho Lee
Indian companiesLarsen and Toubro (L&T), Bharat Earth Movers Limited (BEML)
Korean companiesHanwha Aerospace, Hanwha Systems, Korean Air, Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI), DS Navcours
Sidelines callDAPA Vice Minister called on Raksha Rajya Mantri Sanjay Seth

Exam Point of View

Remember the edition (10th), the venue (New Delhi), the two co-chairs (Dinesh Mahur and Kim Il Dong), the full form of DAPA, the Indian firms (L&T, BEML) and the Korean firms present, and the minister called on (Raksha Rajya Mantri Sanjay Seth).

Practice Questions

Q1.DefenceEasy

Which edition of the India-Republic of Korea Joint Committee Meeting on Defence Industries and Logistics Cooperation was held in New Delhi?

  1. A.8th
  2. B.9th
  3. C.10th
  4. D.12th
Show answer

Correct answer: C. 10th

Explanation

The correct answer is 10th. The Joint Committee Meeting between India and the Republic of Korea on defence industries and logistics cooperation reached its tenth edition at the New Delhi round, where the two sides reviewed existing defence ties and discussed ways to widen cooperation in defence production and logistics. Option A, the 8th, and option B, the 9th, are earlier rounds of the same dialogue and not the one held here, so both are wrong. Option D, the 12th, would place the dialogue further ahead than it has actually travelled, and is therefore also incorrect. The tenth round was co-chaired by Additional Secretary (Defence Production) Dinesh Mahur for India and Vice Minister Kim Il Dong of the Defence Acquisition Program Administration for the Korean side, with the Korean Ambassador Seong Ho Lee and Joint Secretary (Naval Systems) Vijay Namdeorao Zade also present. Aspirants should link the edition number with the host city and the two co-chairs.

Q2.DefenceMedium

DAPA, the Korean agency whose Vice Minister co-chaired the meeting, stands for which of the following?

  1. A.Defence Acquisition Program Administration
  2. B.Defence Advanced Projects Agency
  3. C.Defence and Aerospace Procurement Authority
  4. D.Defence Alliance Partnership Administration
Show answer

Correct answer: A. Defence Acquisition Program Administration

Explanation

The correct answer is Defence Acquisition Program Administration. DAPA is the Republic of Korea's government body responsible for defence acquisition and for overseeing the Korean defence industry, and its Vice Minister Kim Il Dong co-chaired the Joint Committee Meeting in New Delhi alongside Additional Secretary (Defence Production) Dinesh Mahur. Option B, Defence Advanced Projects Agency, mixes up the name with research style agencies and is not what DAPA expands to, so it is wrong. Option C, Defence and Aerospace Procurement Authority, sounds plausible because the agency does handle procurement, but it is not the official expansion and is therefore incorrect. Option D, Defence Alliance Partnership Administration, is an invented name with no link to the Korean acquisition body and is wrong as well. On the sidelines of the meeting the DAPA Vice Minister also called on Raksha Rajya Mantri Sanjay Seth.

Q3.DefenceMedium

Which pair of Indian companies took part in the India-Republic of Korea defence industries and logistics meeting?

  1. A.HAL and Bharat Dynamics Limited
  2. B.Larsen and Toubro and Bharat Earth Movers Limited
  3. C.Mazagon Dock and Garden Reach Shipbuilders
  4. D.Bharat Electronics and Cochin Shipyard
Show answer

Correct answer: B. Larsen and Toubro and Bharat Earth Movers Limited

Explanation

The correct answer is Larsen and Toubro and Bharat Earth Movers Limited. Indian industry at the New Delhi round was represented by L&T and BEML, who joined officials in the discussion on defence production and logistics. The Korean industry side was made up of Hanwha Aerospace, Hanwha Systems, Korean Air, Korea Aerospace Industries and DS Navcours. Option A names Hindustan Aeronautics Limited and Bharat Dynamics Limited, both important defence public sector undertakings but not the firms that attended this meeting, so it is wrong. Option C names two shipyards and option D names an electronics maker and another shipyard; none of these were part of the delegation described, so both are incorrect. Aspirants should note that the presence of manufacturers alongside officials is what makes such a joint committee useful for converting policy into orders and joint projects.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which edition of the India-Republic of Korea defence industries meeting was held in New Delhi?

The 10th Joint Committee Meeting (JCM) on Defence Industries and Logistics Cooperation, co-chaired by Additional Secretary (Defence Production) Dinesh Mahur and DAPA Vice Minister Kim Il Dong.

What does DAPA stand for?

Defence Acquisition Program Administration, the Republic of Korea's government agency for defence acquisition, whose Vice Minister Kim Il Dong co-chaired the meeting and called on Raksha Rajya Mantri Sanjay Seth.

Which Indian companies took part in the meeting?

Larsen and Toubro (L&T) and Bharat Earth Movers Limited (BEML). The Korean industry side included Hanwha Aerospace, Hanwha Systems, Korean Air, Korea Aerospace Industries and DS Navcours.

Sources

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