Indian defence companies are expanding their manufacturing footprint overseas, and Morocco is emerging as a destination for this push. Kanpur-headquartered defence technology company MKU Ltd is setting up a manufacturing facility in the country, becoming the second Indian defence firm to establish a plant there.
The move follows TATA, which has established a facility in Morocco to manufacture WhAP (Wheeled Armoured Platform) armoured vehicles for the Moroccan military.
MKU's upcoming facility will manufacture advanced electro-optics and personal protection equipment. Apart from meeting the requirements of the Moroccan military, the plant is expected to cater to other forces in the region, giving the Indian defence company a manufacturing base serving a wider market.
MKU already supplies optronics and personal protection products to the Moroccan military. The company is now taking that relationship a step further by moving towards local manufacturing.
“MKU’s growing partnership with Morocco is entering a new chapter with an upcoming manufacturing facility in the SGZID Zone, marking an important step towards strengthening local capabilities in advanced electro-optics and personal protection solutions, including helmets, body armour and shields,” the company said in a social media post.
The company said the initiative builds on its longstanding association with Morocco and reflects its commitment to local manufacturing, technology development and sustainable defence capabilities.
The facility will manufacture products from MKU's Netro Optronics and Kavro Protection portfolios. These will include multi-sensor electro-optic systems used for surveillance, reconnaissance, situational awareness and target acquisition. Personal protection products such as body armour, ballistic helmets and shields will also be produced at the plant, alongside armour for military platforms.
The Morocco facility adds another dimension to MKU's existing international presence. According to the company, its products are already in service across more than 230 forces in over 100 countries on the ground, in the air, and on the water.
The company has operational infrastructure across India, the UAE, and a European Centre of Excellence in Germany.
