India, Australia advance defence partnership at Defence Ministers’ Dialogue
New Delhi, Oct 09: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh held a bilateral meeting with Australian Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Richard Marles on October 9, 2025, marking the inaugural Australia–India Defence Ministers’ Dialogue. The meeting underlined the growing strategic partnership between the two countries and set the stage for enhanced cooperation across multiple domains.
In a joint statement, both ministers highlighted “unprecedented progress in the bilateral defence partnership” and reaffirmed their ambition to enhance collaboration to strengthen security and contribute to regional peace. They discussed a Joint Maritime Security Collaboration Roadmap and looked forward to renewing the Joint Declaration on Defence and Security Cooperation.
The Dialogue saw the signing of the Australia–India Implementing Arrangement on Mutual Submarine Rescue Support and Cooperation, while both sides welcomed progress in operationalising the Air-to-Air Refuelling arrangement signed in 2024. The ministers also underscored closer information sharing and the establishment of Joint Staff Talks to coordinate joint exercises, operations, and interoperability across all domains.
India’s participation in Exercise Talisman Sabre 2025 and Australia’s involvement in the Indian Air Force’s Exercise Tarang Shakti 2024 were welcomed. Both countries agreed to expand defence education exchanges, including Indian students at the Australian Defence College in 2026 and a first-time position at the Australian Defence Force Academy in 2027.
The ministers highlighted the importance of defence industrial collaboration, including the first Australian defence trade mission to India (October 7–10) and the India Pavilion at Australia’s Land Forces Expo 2024. They also agreed to pursue joint research and technological cooperation through the Joint Working Group on Defence Industry, Research and Materiel, and India offered maintenance, repair, and overhaul of Royal Australian Navy ships in Indian shipyards during deployments.
On regional security, both sides reaffirmed support for a free, open, and stable Indo-Pacific, emphasizing freedom of navigation, unimpeded trade, and collaborative maritime domain awareness. They also agreed to continue aircraft deployments from each other’s territories, trilateral cooperation with Indonesia, and enhanced collaboration with the Australia–India–Japan–US quadrilateral partners, including joint observation of Cope India 2025.
The ministers welcomed expanded army-to-army cooperation, particularly in amphibious exercises and emerging technologies such as missile defence, secure communications, UAS, counter-UAS, and special operations, and noted India’s naval engagements in Papua New Guinea and Fiji.
Concluding the Dialogue, Deputy Prime Minister Marles accepted India’s invitation to attend the Annual Defence Ministers’ Dialogue in 2026, signalling continued commitment to deepening the Australia–India defence partnership.
