Overview

• India’s defence minister will travel to Australia from October 7 to 10 for bilateral meetings, marking the first such trip by an Indian defence minister in nearly 12 years.
• India’s Ministry of Defence says three military-related agreements are planned for signing during the official program on October 9–10, covering information-sharing, maritime domain cooperation and joint military activities.
• Rajnath Singh will meet Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Richard Marles, hold bilateral discussions, and chair a business roundtable in Sydney with industry leaders from both countries.
• Focus areas build on Marles’ June visit to India, with both sides aiming to diversify defence‑industry collaboration including co‑production and technologies such as artificial intelligence and undersea capabilities.
• The talks will address regional security in the Indo‑Pacific, drawing on the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership established in 2020 and the 2021 Mutual Logistics Support Agreement that enables reciprocal logistics access.