<h1>India's private defence firm opens first African plant in Morocco to produce 8x8 armoured personnel carriers, exports planned</h1> A national defence minister inaugurated an Indian private defence company's overseas manufacturing plant in Morocco established under a government-to-company contract to produce and deliver 8x8 wheeled armoured personnel carriers, with initial deliveries due next month and production already started. The facility, the first Indian private defence manufacturing presence in Africa, became operational ahead of schedule and is reported to have created direct and indirect employment, developed a local supplier ecosystem and in-country product support, and involves collaboration with a national defence research agency. The plant will supply the host country's armed forces initially and aims to export to friendly states, implicating cross-border defence procurement, manufacturing, and export-control and local-content considerations.