India and Indonesia Tighten Maritime Cooperation, Reaffirm Shared Indo-Pacific Vision

India and Indonesia placed the Indo-Pacific and maritime security at the heart of their strategic engagement as Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Indonesian Defence Minister Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin met in New Delhi for the third India–Indonesia Defence Ministers’ Dialogue.

The talks underscored a clear convergence: both nations intend to act together to safeguard a region where major-power competition, contested waters, and growing security risks have made cooperative partnerships indispensable.

The two reaffirmed that the Indo-Pacific must remain free, stable and inclusive, with maritime activity governed by international law and respect for sovereignty. Both sides highlighted the natural alignment between ASEAN’s Indo-Pacific outlook and India’s Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative, stressing the need for coordinated approaches to maintain regional balance.

Maritime cooperation: a pillar of India–Indonesia ties, received renewed attention. The ministers reviewed ongoing naval coordination in the Indian Ocean, discussed expanding information-sharing mechanisms and reiterated support for ASEAN-led structures such as the ADMM-Plus. Greater collaboration in maritime domain awareness, cyber resilience and operational readiness was also identified as a priority as both nations confront challenges ranging from illegal fishing to contested sea lanes.

The Dialogue followed the successful completion of Samudra Shakti–2025, the bilateral maritime exercise held last month in Visakhapatnam. The drill, which featured complex air-defence manoeuvres, helicopter operations and VBSS missions, reinforced the growing interoperability between the two navies. Officials noted that exercises like Samudra Shakti, along with coordinated patrols along the International Maritime Boundary Line, have become central to maintaining stability in the region.

While maritime cooperation dominated the agenda, the meeting also covered broader defence ties. Indonesia expressed interest in expanded defence industry partnership, including technology collaboration, joint R&D and supply-chain linkages. India’s progress in submarine development, particularly through the Scorpene-class programme, was acknowledged as an area with strong potential for cooperation. Discussions also explored joint work in defence medicine and military health systems.

The ministers reviewed developments in military-to-military exchanges across all three services and agreed to enhance training programmes, officer-level exchanges and institutional cooperation. Humanitarian and global peace issues were also touched upon, with both sides supporting efforts for lasting peace in Palestine and Indonesia reiterating its readiness to contribute peacekeeping personnel to Gaza under a UN mandate.

As a gesture of goodwill, India announced the gifting of horses and a ceremonial carriage from the Army’s Remount and Veterinary Corps to Indonesia.

With maritime security increasingly shaping the strategic landscape of the Indo-Pacific, India and Indonesia signalled their intent to play a proactive, coordinated role in preserving regional stability.

Team BharatShakti