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Morocco and India officially opened a shared production plant for the WhAP 8×8 armored combat vehicle in Berrechid on Tuesday, marking an official step towards a long-term industrial collaboration, shifting from simple buyer-seller relations.

The facility, Tata Advanced Systems Morocco (TASM), marks the first significant Indian defense manufacturing location on African territory. It was inaugurated in the presence of Indian Defense Minister Rajnath Singh, who visited Rabat on September 22–23, an event diplomats characterized as New Delhi’s most prominent defense visit to the country so far.

Singh’s initiative involved discussions with Abdellatif Loudyi, Morocco’s minister delegate responsible for national defence, as well as a meeting with Industry and Trade Minister Ryad Mezzour.

The Berrechid site will produce approximately 400 WhAP vehicles during the next three years, with around 150 of them intended for Morocco’s Royal Armed Forces. As per investment documents, the project starts with a local content rate of 35 percent and aims to reach 50 percent as Moroccan suppliers and engineers receive training.

The facility is anticipated to directly hire approximately 90 individuals and indirectly support an additional 250, while acting as a knowledge-sharing center for Moroccan engineers.

The WhAP, also known as the Wheeled Armoured Platform, was created collaboratively by India’s Defence Research and Development Organisation and Tata, serving as an 8×8 wheeled vehicle designed for transporting troops and conducting reconnaissance in contemporary combat scenarios.

For Morocco, the system signifies both an enhancement of capabilities and a wager on industrial value creation.

For India, this facility represents progress towards its self-sufficiency and export goals, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi aiming to increase defense exports fivefold by the end of the decade.

Morocco has previously brought in Indian military trucks and additional gear, but the Berrechid initiative focuses on collaborative ventures and technological alliances.

The Kingdom has traditionally depended on Western suppliers, but by hosting Africa’s first Indian defense factory, it demonstrates its ability to establish alternative supply chains and enhance its reputation as a manufacturing center for African markets.

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