Joint R&D, military engagement & Indo-Pacific security: India, UK deepen defence partnership
India and the United Kingdom took a significant step forward in their defence partnership, with defence secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh co-chairing the 25th India-UK Defence Consultative Group meeting with his British counterpart, Permanent Under Secretary for defence Jeremy Pocklington, in New Delhi. The meeting, which marked Pocklington’s first visit to India in his current role, saw both sides take stock of the expanding defence industrial relationship, with particular focus on research and development under the India-UK Vision 2035 and the Ten Year Defence Industrial Roadmap.The two sides agreed to widen military-to-military engagement, with an emphasis on joint exercises, training and capacity building across the armed forces of both nations. Maritime security in the Indo-Pacific, especially in light of China’s growing assertiveness in the region, featured in the talks, with both countries acknowledging the progress made through the Regional Maritime Security Centre of Excellence, which was set up under the Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative (IPOI). The two senior functionaries also exchanged views on regional peace and security.Ahead of the DCG meeting, Pocklington laid a wreath at the National War Memorial, paying tribute to soldiers who made the ultimate sacrifice in service of the nation. He also visited the Gandhi Smriti Museum and the National Defence College in New Delhi, besides holding bilateral talks with the Chief of Defence Staff, General Raja Subramani.The India-UK defence relationship has evolved over the years into a structured, multi-layered partnership built on joint exercises, naval port calls and air force exchanges that steadily build interoperability between the two militaries. A key milestone came in July last year, when Prime Minister Narendra Modi‘s visit to London resulted in the signing of the ten-year Defence Industrial Roadmap, committing both countries to co-development and co-production of advanced defence platforms in line with India’s Atmanirbharta push.This institutional architecture is reinforced by mechanisms such as the 2+2 Dialogue, Executive Steering Groups across the three services, and Defence Equipment Sub-Groups, all of which lend depth and continuity to discussions on procurement and technology transfer. The partnership also draws strength from the India-UK Free Trade Agreement concluded last year.Both sides also agreed on a wider set of priorities, ranging from deepening cooperation in advanced technologies such as electric propulsion and jet engine core technologies, to strengthening coordination on counter-terrorism, cyber resilience and irregular migration. With the Defence Industrial Roadmap now firmly in place, the coming decade is expected to see joint development of advanced systems, drawing the UK deeper into the Indo-Pacific security calculus while reinforcing India’s own technological and strategic autonomy.
