India and the United Kingdom on Friday agreed to expand engagement between their armed forces through joint military exercises, training and capacity building as the two countries reviewed their growing defence and security partnership at a high-level dialogue in New Delhi.
Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh co-chaired the 25th India-UK Defence Consultative Group meeting with Jeremy Pocklington, Permanent Under Secretary for Defence of the UK. It was Pocklington’s first visit to India in his current position and provided the two sides an opportunity to assess ongoing cooperation across military engagement, defence industry, research and development and maritime security.
Military exchanges to expand
A major focus of the meeting was increasing direct interaction between the Indian and British armed forces. The two countries agreed to expand bilateral exchanges through joint exercises, professional training and capacity-building programmes, strengthening military-to-military ties alongside their broader strategic relationship.
India and the UK already maintain defence engagement across the three services, and the latest agreement signals an intention to increase the depth of those interactions. Joint exercises and training provide opportunities for personnel to improve interoperability, exchange operational experience and develop familiarity with each other’s procedures.
The two officials also discussed regional peace and security and reiterated their commitment to mutual security and strategic autonomy. Both sides said the India-UK Strategic Partnership remained grounded in shared values of peace, stability, freedom and mutual respect.
Defence industry reviewed
Defence industrial cooperation formed another important part of the discussions. Singh and Pocklington reviewed ongoing initiatives with particular emphasis on research and development under the India-UK Vision 2035 and the ten-year Defence Industrial Roadmap.
The roadmap provides a framework for moving the defence relationship beyond traditional buyer-seller arrangements towards deeper cooperation involving technology, research, development and industrial partnerships. Such collaboration is particularly important for India as it seeks to expand domestic defence manufacturing and reduce dependence on imported military equipment.
The discussions reflected the broader effort by New Delhi and London to identify areas where their defence industries can work together on future capabilities. Research and development is expected to remain an important element of this partnership as both countries seek to translate political commitments into specific industrial projects.
Maritime security in focus
The two sides also acknowledged their expanding maritime security cooperation in the Indo-Pacific. Among the initiatives highlighted was the establishment of the Regional Maritime Security Centre of Excellence under the Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative.
Maritime cooperation has acquired greater importance in India-UK defence relations as both countries share an interest in maintaining stability and secure sea lanes across the Indo-Pacific. Cooperation in this area provides scope for greater information sharing, capacity building and coordinated efforts to address maritime security challenges.
The emphasis on the Indo-Pacific also reflects the widening geographical scope of the bilateral relationship. While defence ties historically centred heavily on training and military exchanges, maritime security and emerging strategic challenges are increasingly becoming prominent elements of engagement.
Strategic ties deepen
The Defence Consultative Group serves as an important institutional mechanism for reviewing the overall defence relationship and identifying areas for further cooperation. The 25th meeting came as India and the UK seek to give greater substance to their wider strategic partnership through sustained engagement between governments, militaries and defence industries.
During his visit, Pocklington also held talks with Chief of Defence Staff General NS Raja Subramani, providing another opportunity to discuss bilateral defence cooperation and issues of mutual interest.
Before the talks, the British official laid a wreath at the National War Memorial in New Delhi and paid tribute to Indian personnel who made the supreme sacrifice in service of the country. He also visited Gandhi Smriti Museum and the National Defence College.
The latest dialogue underscores an effort by both governments to build a more comprehensive defence relationship. With joint exercises, training, industrial cooperation and Indo-Pacific maritime security forming the principal pillars, India and the UK are looking to translate their long-term strategic framework into greater practical cooperation between their armed forces and defence establishments.