India, U.K. review defence ties, focus on R&D and industrial cooperation
India and the United Kingdom held their 25th Defence Consultative Group meeting to strengthen bilateral ties in research, development, and industrial cooperation. The discussions emphasized the 10-year Defence Industrial Road map and expanded maritime security collaboration in the Indo-Pacific region.
Why it matters
Strengthening defense ties between India and the UK is a key component of the broader geopolitical strategy to maintain stability and security in the Indo-Pacific.
Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh and the Permanent Under Secretary for Defence of the United Kingdom, Jeremy Pocklington, on Friday (August 21, 2026) co-chaired the 25th India-U.K. Defence Consultative Group (DCG) meeting in New Delhi, reviewing bilateral defence cooperation with a focus on defence industry and research and development.
According to the Ministry of Defence, the two sides reviewed ongoing defence industrial cooperation, with particular emphasis on research and development under the India-U.K. Vision 2035 and the 10-year Defence Industrial Road map.
It said India and the U.K. also agreed to expand exchanges between their armed forces through joint exercises, training and capacity building initiatives. They acknowledged the robust maritime security cooperation between the two countries in the Indo-Pacific, including the establishment of the Regional Maritime Security Centre of Excellence under the Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative.
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