Overview
- Defence Minister Rajnath Singh told the inaugural ASEAN‑India Defence Think Tank Forum that India is ready to explore cooperation on patrol vessels, radars, air‑defence, helicopters, drones and related technologies.
- Singh asked that ties go beyond sales to include co‑development, co‑production, maintenance, repair and overhaul, training and long‑term technical support to build local skills and more reliable supply chains.
- He named defence‑technology priorities for joint work — artificial intelligence, counter‑drone systems, cyber defences and space‑based maritime surveillance — and cited India’s iDEX and TDF programmes as collaboration models.
- The offer was made at the two‑day forum in New Delhi, which runs October 14–15, 2026, and has tasked think tanks to identify pilot projects and a joint research agenda; no binding ASEAN‑level agreements were announced.
- The push reflects India’s Act East and maritime engagement policies and is framed as a response to rising strategic pressure in the Indo‑Pacific that could prompt closer cooperation on maritime domain awareness, emergency response and supply‑chain resilience.