India and Australia have taken a major leap forward in their defence relationship, transforming what was once a cordial friendship into a robust and comprehensive strategic partnership. On October 10, 2025, a flurry of high-level engagements, new agreements, and bold statements from top officials underscored just how much the partnership has evolved—and where it is headed.
In Sydney, Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Australia’s Assistant Minister for Defence, Peter Khalil MP, co-chaired the India-Australia Defence Industry Round Table, a gathering that brought together senior military officials, diplomats, and industry leaders from both countries. According to Business Standard, Singh described the bilateral relationship as having grown “remarkably in recent years through sustained high-level engagements and expanding strategic alignment.” What began as a long-standing friendship, he said, officially became a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in 2020, a status marked by regular summits, dialogues, and reciprocal visits—including the India-Australia Summit in November 2024 and the 2+2 Dialogue in October 2024.
But the real action took place in Canberra, where India and Australia signed three new military agreements designed to deepen their defence ties. As reported by Hindustan Times, the pacts include a framework for information sharing, a memorandum of understanding on submarine search and rescue cooperation, and terms of reference for joint staff talks between the two armed forces. These agreements, signed after Rajnath Singh met with Australian Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Richard Marles, are meant to boost cooperation in maritime security, joint operations, and defence industry collaboration.
The significance of these developments was not lost on either side. The meeting in Canberra marked five years since the elevation of the India-Australia relationship to a comprehensive strategic partnership, a milestone that both sides were keen to celebrate—and build upon. Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese even made a brief appearance to welcome Singh, who was on a two-day visit to Australia for the inaugural Australia–India Defence Ministers’ Dialogue.
The joint statement released after the talks captured the mood: “The dialogue reflected unprecedented progress in the bilateral defence partnership and ministers’ ambition to enhance cooperation, following the four bilateral meetings between the ministers since the elevation of the Australia–India comprehensive strategic partnership in 2020.”
Singh and Marles advanced their Prime Ministers’ long-term vision for collaboration, aiming to enhance both countries’ collective strength and contribute to regional peace and security. They discussed a joint maritime security collaboration roadmap and looked forward to the renewal and strengthening of the joint declaration on defence and security cooperation. The two ministers also welcomed ongoing progress in defence cooperation among Australia, India, Japan, and the United States—underscoring the growing strategic convergence among the so-called Quad partners.
“They reaffirmed their commitment to enhancing collaboration on maritime domain awareness and looked forward to a second collaborative activity on the margins of Exercise Malabar in November 2025. Australia and India expressed strong support for initiatives that advance closer maritime surveillance cooperation among the four partners (Quad),” the joint statement added, according to Hindustan Times.
At the heart of this partnership are three key pillars, Singh emphasized: robust government-to-government collaboration, vibrant people-to-people connections, and expanding business and industrial partnerships. With over one million people of Indian origin now living in Australia, the human linkages between the two countries are stronger than ever. Trade and technology cooperation have also been on the rise, forming the foundation of what Singh called a “dynamic bilateral relationship.”
Yet, despite all this progress, Singh noted that defence industrial collaboration—especially in joint research, co-production, and innovation—still holds significant untapped potential. “India and Australia are natural partners, and this collaboration is both strategically significant and economically beneficial,” Singh said at the round table, as quoted by Business Standard. He pointed to India’s strengths in software, advanced manufacturing, and technology, and Australia’s prowess in innovation and research, suggesting that together, the two nations could co-develop the next generation of defence solutions.
To that end, Singh invited Australian companies to partner with Indian businesses and co-produce high-end defence products. “India welcomes Australian companies to partner with the Indian industry to co-develop and co-produce high-end systems, including propulsion technologies, autonomous underwater vehicles, flight simulators, and advanced materials. Joint ventures can help build interoperable platforms aligned with the strategic objectives of both our nations,” he stated.
India’s defence sector, for its part, is booming. Singh highlighted that India is now the world’s fourth-largest economy and the fastest-growing major economy, maintaining steady growth even amid global challenges. In 2023–24, India’s defence production reached ₹1.51 trillion (about $18 billion), an 18% increase from the previous year. Defence exports hit a record ₹23,600 crore (about $2.7 billion), reflecting the country’s growing footprint in the global arms market.
Key reforms have played a major role in this transformation. Initiatives like Make in India, Production-Linked Incentive (PLI) schemes, and liberalized foreign direct investment (FDI) policies have opened the defence sector to up to 74% foreign investment through the automatic route. These steps, Singh argued, have made India “one of the most attractive destinations for defence manufacturing and R&D.”
Meanwhile, both nations are keeping a close watch on the evolving security landscape in the Indo-Pacific. The ministers reaffirmed their strong support for freedom of navigation and overflight, unimpeded trade, and other lawful uses of the sea consistent with international law, particularly the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. These principles are more than just diplomatic niceties—they are a direct response to China’s growing presence in the region. As Hindustan Times noted, China has been seeking to boost its influence by setting up military bases, advancing maritime claims, and forcing strategic concessions from vulnerable states.
Singh did not shy away from addressing security threats closer to home, either. He reiterated India’s firm stance on terrorism, particularly in the context of Pakistan, declaring, “Terror and talks cannot go together, terror and trade cannot go together and water and blood cannot flow together.”
Looking ahead, the partnership between India and Australia appears poised for even greater heights. Both countries are eager to expand joint military exercises, enhance maritime security cooperation, and deepen collaboration in defence science and technology. The upcoming collaborative activities on the margins of Exercise Malabar in November 2025 are expected to further cement their strategic alignment.
With the world’s attention increasingly focused on the Indo-Pacific, the India-Australia relationship stands out as an example of how shared values, mutual trust, and practical cooperation can yield real results. Whether on the high seas, in defence laboratories, or in bustling boardrooms, the two democracies are charting a course that could reshape the security architecture of the region for years to come.
