India and Morocco strengthen strategic partnership focused on AI and technological cooperation

The diplomat also announced the organization of the India Africa ICT Expo 2026, scheduled for March 27 and 28 in Casablanca. The event will bring together major digital companies from India, Morocco and several African countries in order to stimulate investment and technological exchanges.

According to him, the meeting will focus in particular on building societies “ready for artificial intelligence,” with emphasis on access to digital infrastructure, equipment and high-speed networks enabling smooth connectivity to data centers.

The Indian official described bilateral technological relations as entering a particularly favorable period. Morocco’s adoption of the declaration issued at the AI summit, which focuses on transparency, inclusion and South-South cooperation, illustrates this dynamic.

He also highlighted the vitality of academic exchanges, citing partnerships with institutions such as Mohammed VI Polytechnic University, Euromed University of Fez and Al Akhawayn University, as well as scientific conferences bringing together Moroccan AI specialists.

The ambassador stressed India’s strategy aimed at making technology accessible. Public infrastructure allows start-ups to use advanced computing capabilities at very low cost, despite the high price of specialized graphics processors.

This approach, combined with the potential of the skilled youth of both countries, aims to transform artificial intelligence into an accessible economic tool rather than a technology reserved for a select few.

Indian companies attracted by Morocco’s ecosystem

Morocco is increasingly attracting Indian technology groups thanks to its orientation toward renewable energy and improvements in its business climate. The most frequently cited example is HCLTech, which has tripled its local workforce in three years to reach around 500 Moroccan engineers.

For its part, Tata Consultancy Services is considering opening a development center or a data center in the country, a project that could create several hundred qualified jobs.

Trade and investment on the rise

Economic exchanges between the two nations have continued to grow since the official visit of King Mohammed VI to India in 2015. The annual volume of transactions now stands at around 4 billion dollars. India is notably one of the main importers of phosphate fertilizers produced by the OCP Group.

In the automotive industry, a factory belonging to the Tata group in Berrechid now produces vehicles entirely manufactured in Morocco. At the same time, an Indian industrial project plans to build a unit producing recycled copper and aluminum to support the local automotive ecosystem.

Sector diversification: defense and pharmaceuticals

Cooperation is also expanding into strategic industries. The Indian company MKU plans to establish a factory in Morocco to manufacture night vision equipment and ballistic protection. In the pharmaceutical sector, a delegation of Indian industrialists recently explored potential industrial partnerships with Moroccan stakeholders.

Beyond bilateral interests, both countries aim to use their cooperation as a development lever for Africa. Morocco is already using the open-source digital identity protocol designed in India to modernize its national population register and is transferring this expertise to other African states.

Indian digital education platforms are also being integrated into Moroccan preschool education, an experience that could expand across the continent.

Toward stronger participation in major technology events

The Indo-African ICT Expo in Casablanca will serve as a prelude to significant Indian participation in the next edition of GITEX Africa in Marrakech. During the previous edition, a delegation from the Indian state of Karnataka, accompanied by Minister Jayant Chaudhary, had already drawn attention.

Editorial team/le7tv