Under the terms of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), Bharat Forge and General Atomics' Electromagnetic Systems Group (GA-EMS) will collaborate for Lithium-Ion battery system for naval platforms for the Indian Navy.

Indian defence firm Bharat Forge Ltd on Wednesday said it has inked an agreement with American technology major General Atomics for collaboration in developing Lithium-Ion battery system for use by the Indian Navy. The pact was signed on the sidelines of the DefExpo in Gandhinagar in Gujarat.

Under the terms of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), Bharat Forge and General Atomics' Electromagnetic Systems Group (GA-EMS) will collaborate for Lithium-Ion battery system for naval platforms for the Indian Navy.

Bharat Forge said the two sides have also agreed to partner in the area of permanent magnet motors.

Lithium-Ion battery systems are used in various naval platforms including submarines.

"We have been relentlessly working towards bringing niche technologies in the country with the aim of making Indian self-reliant in defence verticals," said Baba Kalyani, Chairman Kalyani Group.

"General Atomics is a market leader for in-service Li-Ion battery solutions for naval platforms/submarines and and our partnership with General Atomics is a firm step in the direction to develop Make-in-India solutions for the Indian Navy and setting up a strong defence technology and manufacturing vertical within India," he said.

President of GA-EMS Scott Forney said his company is looking forward to working with Bharat Forge to meet the requirements of the Indian Navy.

"We are committed to working with companies like Bharat Forge, whose reputation for excellence and dedication to quality is synergistic with ours, as we continue to deliver technology innovations and cutting-edge systems for undersea and surface platforms," Forney said.