India’s Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Australia’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence Richard Marles co-chaired the second India–Australia Defence Ministers’ Dialogue at Manekshaw Centre, New Delhi, on 1 June 2026. Mr Marles inspected the Ceremonial Tri-Service Guard of Honour on arrival.
The dialogue followed the inaugural edition held in Australia on 9 October 2025, which had established the annual Defence Ministers’ Dialogue format. The stated purpose of the meeting was to review the progress in bilateral defence cooperation and identify new avenues for collaboration, adding that Australia is a key partner in India’s vision of a free, open, inclusive and prosperous Indo-Pacific.
Both sides issued a joint statement following the dialogue. It stated: The Ministers noted significant progress in the bilateral relationship and enhanced consultation and cooperation since the inaugural dialogue. They advanced their Prime Ministers’ long-term vision for collaboration to enhance collective strength, contribute to security, and promote regional peace and security. They welcomed progress towards renewing and strengthening the Joint Declaration on Defence and Security Cooperation.
A key outcome was the agreement to begin developing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on the Provision of Defence Articles and Defence Services statement as a next step in deepening defence industrial collaboration.
The ministers discussed finalising the Joint Maritime Security Collaboration Roadmap and agreed to advance collaborative maritime domain awareness activities by patrol aircraft. As co-leads of the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) Working Group on Maritime Safety and Security, India and Australia confirmed they will jointly host a Search and Rescue tabletop exercise at the Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre, Chennai, in June 2026. The joint statement reaffirmed both countries’ commitment to a free, open, peaceful, stable and prosperous Indo-Pacific, underscoring the importance of freedom of navigation and overflight and unimpeded trade consistent with international law, including the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).
Army Exercise Austrahind has evolved this year to focus on amphibious combat and littoral manoeuvre. India participated for the first time in Operation Render Safe 2026, while Australia was invited to participate in the submarine rescue exercise Black Carillon. Both sides also looked forward to India’s enhanced participation in Exercise Talisman Sabre 2027. The inaugural Joint Staff Talks are anticipated later in 2026 to progress joint exercises, operations, and interoperability across all domains.
The ministers welcomed Australia’s first defence trade mission to India and the Australia–India Defence Industry Roundtable, both held in October 2025. Australia invited India to participate in the 2026 Australian Defence Science, Technology, and Research Summit. Further exchanges are to be pursued through the Joint Working Group on Defence Industry, Research, and Materiel.
Both sides expressed strong support for the Quad Indo-Pacific Maritime Surveillance Collaboration (IPMSC) initiative, to be initially implemented in the Indian Ocean Region. India’s operationalisation of the Quad Indo-Pacific Partnership for Maritime Domain Awareness (IPMDA) programme through the Information Fusion Centre – Indian Ocean Region (IFC-IOR) in Gurugram was welcomed. Both sides agreed to work towards developing a common operational picture across the Indo-Pacific.
