NEW DELHI: India and Australia have taken another major step in strengthening their strategic and defence partnership, with Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Australian Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Richard Marles co-chairing the second India-Australia Defence Ministers’ Dialogue in New Delhi on Monday.
Held at the Manekshaw Centre, the high-level meeting reviewed the progress made since the inaugural dialogue in October 2025 and outlined a roadmap for expanding cooperation across defence, maritime security, technology, training, and regional stability in the Indo-Pacific.
Both leaders reaffirmed their commitment to enhancing bilateral security cooperation and advancing the long-term vision shared by the Prime Ministers of the two countries. They stressed the importance of a stronger defence relationship in contributing to regional peace, security, and prosperity.
A major focus of the discussions was maritime security cooperation. India and Australia agreed to accelerate efforts to finalise a Joint Maritime Security Collaboration Roadmap and deepen cooperation in maritime domain awareness. The two sides discussed expanding collaboration through maritime patrol aircraft operations and exploring opportunities related to undersea domain awareness.
The ministers also encouraged greater engagement between the Indian Coast Guard and Australia’s Maritime Border Command to improve coordination in safeguarding maritime interests.
Reiterating their shared commitment to a free, open, and rules-based Indo-Pacific, the two countries underlined the significance of freedom of navigation, overflight, and unhindered lawful trade. They emphasized adherence to international law, including the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), as a foundation for regional stability.
As co-leads of the Indian Ocean Rim Association’s Working Group on Maritime Safety and Security, India and Australia announced plans to jointly host a Search and Rescue and tabletop exercise at the Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre in Chennai later this month. The initiative is expected to strengthen maritime safety mechanisms across the Indian Ocean Region.
The dialogue also produced significant outcomes in the defence industry sector. The ministers agreed to begin work on a Memorandum of Understanding concerning the provision of defence articles and defence services. The proposed agreement is expected to deepen defence industrial cooperation and facilitate greater collaboration between defence manufacturers and research institutions in both countries.
Both sides welcomed the growing engagement between their defence industries, noting the success of Australia’s first defence trade mission to India and the Australia-India Defence Industry Roundtable held in 2025. Officials were tasked with exploring additional opportunities through existing bilateral mechanisms focused on defence industry, research, and materiel cooperation.
Emerging technologies featured prominently in the discussions. India and Australia expressed interest in expanding joint research initiatives in advanced fields, including sensor technologies and defence science. Australia also invited India to participate in the Australian Defence Science, Technology and Research Summit scheduled for 2026.
The ministers reviewed the increasing interaction between their armed forces and highlighted the importance of multinational military exercises. India is expected to enhance its participation in Australia’s Exercise Talisman Sabre in 2027, while Australia’s involvement in India’s Exercise Milan and India’s participation in Exercise Kakadu were cited as examples of growing military cooperation.
The two countries also plan to operationalise their bilateral air-to-air refuelling arrangement during future multinational air exercises, including Exercise Pitch Black.
Military cooperation is expanding into newer operational areas as well. The dialogue noted developments in the Army Exercise Austrahind, which will now focus on amphibious combat and littoral manoeuvres. Australia welcomed India’s participation in Operation Render Safe 2026, while India welcomed Australia’s invitation to participate in the submarine rescue exercise Black Carillon.
The ministers emphasized the importance of enhanced information-sharing between operational headquarters and welcomed plans for the first Joint Staff Talks later this year. They also discussed secure communications and strategic coordination across military establishments.
Training and professional military education emerged as another area of collaboration. Both sides encouraged officials to finalise arrangements for deploying an Indian instructor to the Australian Defence College during 2028-29, a move aimed at strengthening knowledge exchange and strategic understanding between the two defence establishments.
On regional cooperation, India and Australia reiterated support for the Quad’s maritime initiatives and welcomed efforts to strengthen maritime domain awareness across the Indo-Pacific. The ministers endorsed the Quad Indo-Pacific Maritime Surveillance Collaboration initiative and expressed support for expert exchanges and joint exercises.
They also welcomed the operationalisation of the Indian Ocean Region programme under the Quad Indo-Pacific Partnership for Maritime Domain Awareness through the Information Fusion Centre–Indian Ocean Region in Gurugram. Both countries agreed to work towards creating a common operational picture across the Indo-Pacific by leveraging existing regional maritime monitoring frameworks.
The dialogue reflected the growing strategic convergence between India and Australia and underscored their shared commitment to ensuring a secure, stable, and prosperous Indo-Pacific region amid evolving geopolitical challenges.
