India and Australia reaffirmed their commitment to deepening defence and technology collaboration during the ninth edition of the India-Australia Defence Policy Talks, held on March 17 in New Delhi. Key focus areas included maritime domain awareness, mutual information sharing, joint exercises, science and technology partnerships, and industry cooperation. The discussions also covered deployments from each other’s territories to enhance operational coordination.
Joint Secretary Amitabh Prasad led the Indian delegation, while Bernard Philip, First Assistant Secretary of the International Policy Division at Australia’s Department of Defence, headed the Australian side. Both sides exchanged views on regional and global security issues of mutual interest and underscored the importance of strengthening their strategic partnership.
Both nations welcomed the steady progress in bilateral defence cooperation, emphasizing the increasing frequency and complexity of joint exercises and exchanges. “The meeting reviewed the defence outcomes of the second Ministerial Foreign and Defence Ministers’ 2+2 dialogue in November 2023, the inter-sessional 2+2 consultations at the Secretary level in October 2024, and the second annual leaders’ summit in November 2024,” the Indian Ministry of Defence stated in a release.
India and Australia also outlined priorities for the upcoming 2+2 ministerial dialogue, scheduled to take place in Australia later this year. Additionally, they explored avenues for deeper defence industry collaboration and interoperability across maritime, land, and air domains, including engagement with multilateral partners.
As part of their visit, the Australian delegation will tour Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Ltd (MDL) in Mumbai. The Australian co-chair, Bernard Philip, is also set to meet with India’s Defence Secretary, Rajesh Kumar Singh, on March 18 to further discussions on strategic cooperation.
Team BharatShakti
