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Prime Minister Narendra Modi will travel to Malaysia on February 7–8 for a two-day official visit, his first since India and Malaysia elevated ties to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in August 2024.
The visit is at the invitation of Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim. It will be Modi’s third visit to the Southeast Asian nation.
Bilateral talks in Kuala Lumpur will review cooperation across sectors such as trade, defence, maritime security, semiconductors, digital technology, energy and education. Defence cooperation is expected to be the key focus.
Briefing the media on Thursday, Secretary (East) in the Ministry of External Affairs, P. Kumaran, said India sees “a lot of promise” in defence cooperation with Malaysia. He said discussions are underway on the sale of Dornier aircraft, collaboration on Scorpene-class submarines and support for Malaysia’s Su-30 fighter fleet.
“Defence cooperation, there is a lot of promise as far as defence cooperation is concerned. We are looking at the sale of Dornier aircraft. Malaysia also has Scorpene submarines. We are looking at opportunities to try and collaborate, especially in terms of mid-life upgrades, retrofitting, etc. There is potential to collaborate on the SU-30 aircraft. Malaysians have that aircraft, and so do we. We have offered proposals for modification, upgradation and mid-life maintenance,” said Kumaran.
Opportunities to supply naval platforms from Indian shipyards are also being examined. These could include patrol vessels and other surface platforms suited to Malaysia’s maritime requirements.
“We are also looking at the potential for the supply of naval platforms by Indian shipyards. So, those are all areas that look promising. We hope to be able to get something going on these areas,” Kumaran added.
The Dornier aircraft deal relates to India offering the HAL-manufactured Dornier 228 to meet a Malaysian Coast Guard requirement estimated at around 7 aircraft. A potential Dornier deal would add momentum to India’s push to expand defence exports in Southeast Asia, where maritime surveillance and coastal security remain key operational requirements.
India is also looking to collaborate on the Royal Malaysian Air Force’s Su-30MKM fleet. The aircraft shares a common Russian-origin platform architecture with the Indian Air Force’s Su-30MKI. India has offered proposals covering upgrades, avionics modernisation and mid-life maintenance, along with the possible integration of Indian-developed weapon systems.
The Ministry of External Affairs confirmed that the 10th India–Malaysia CEO Forum will be held during the visit, highlighting parallel efforts to strengthen economic ties.
Modi is also scheduled to interact with the Indian diaspora in Malaysia, which numbers about 2.9 million, making it the third-largest Indian community globally.
Malaysia is India’s third-largest trading partner within ASEAN, with bilateral trade valued at around USD 20 billion.
Team BharatShakti
