Australia and India are preparing to further strengthen their defence and strategic partnership as Australian Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Richard Marles is scheduled to visit India later this week. During the visit, he will participate in the second Australia-India Defence Ministers’ Dialogue and hold discussions with Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh. The talks are expected to focus on expanding military cooperation, enhancing maritime security coordination, and reinforcing overall strategic alignment in the Indo-Pacific region.
Before arriving in India, Marles will travel to Singapore to attend the 23rd Shangri-La Dialogue, one of the region’s most significant security conferences. The event, hosted by the International Institute for Strategic Studies, will take place from May 29 to May 31. During the forum, Marles is expected to address maritime security challenges in Asia during a plenary session and also hold bilateral meetings with several global and regional defence leaders.
In a statement ahead of his visit, Marles described Australia and India as top-tier security partners. He said he looks forward to meeting Rajnath Singh to build on the progress achieved during Singh’s previous visit to Australia. According to him, the growing engagement between the two countries reflects a strong and expanding defence relationship that has developed significantly in recent years.
The Australian Defence Ministry noted that the first Defence Ministers’ Dialogue between the two countries, held in Australia in October last year, marked an important milestone in institutionalising defence cooperation at the ministerial level. Officials said the dialogue reflects both nations’ shared goal of strengthening coordination and expanding long-term defence collaboration.
Recent interactions have also included the 10th edition of Defence Policy Talks held in New Delhi on May 8. During these talks, both sides acknowledged the increasing scale and complexity of joint military exercises, which are seen as a sign of growing trust and operational compatibility between their armed forces.
India’s Ministry of Defence said the creation of an annual Defence Ministers’ Dialogue in 2025 has further enhanced structured engagement between the two sides and strengthened mutual consultation on security issues. Both countries also reiterated their commitment to expanding maritime cooperation and working together to ensure stability in the Indo-Pacific.
According to India’s Ministry of External Affairs, the India-Australia relationship is based on shared democratic values, commonwealth ties, and expanding economic and strategic cooperation. These shared interests continue to drive deeper engagement and strengthen the partnership between the two Indo-Pacific nations.
