Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Tuesday signed a security and defence partnership with European Commission Vice President Kaja Kallas, stressing that he is looking forward to "greater cooperation" between India and the EU countries.
The partnership will allow India to plug into select European defence initiatives, according to a draft document seen by Reuters.
The partnership comes as Europe seeks to reduce its dependence on US and China, while widening diplomatic and economic engagement with other regions.
"The EU and India will consult on their respective defence initiatives, including through exchanges on defence industry-related matters," the draft partnership said.
Delighted to meet High Representative/Vice President (HR/VP) of the European Commission Ms. Kaja Kallas in New Delhi today.Discussed a range of bilateral security and defence issues including oppurtunities for integrating supply chains for building trusted defence ecosystems… pic.twitter.com/hTrPj46Tt8 — Rajnath Singh (@rajnathsingh) January 27, 2026
"They will explore, where there are mutual interest and alignment of security priorities, possibilities for India's participation in relevant EU defence initiatives, as appropriate, in line with respective legal frameworks," it added.
A statement by the ministry of defence said that the partnership will become a force multiplier by integrating supply chains for building trusted defence ecosystems and future-ready capabilities.
Rajnath Singh said that India’s defence industry can play a meaningful role in the EU's ‘ReArm initiative’, especially when EU is seeking to rapidly diversify suppliers and de-risk dependencies.
What the partnership covers
The draft envisages an annual EU-India dialogue on security and defence.
It also flags deeper cooperation on maritime security, cyber issues and counterterrorism.
"The growing complexity of global security threats, rising geopolitical tensions, and rapid technological change underscore the need for closer EU-India dialogue and cooperation in security and defence," the document said.
Kallas also said that both sides must work together in the Indian Ocean Region and learn from each other’s best practices through joint exercises. The statement assumes significance since India has been part of broader efforts to counter China's growing assertiveness in the Indo-Pacific region.
Supply chains and defence industry
In parallel, India and the EU are looking at closer defence-industrial coordination, including supply chains, as part of building more resilient ecosystems.
"Discussed a range of bilateral security and defence issues including opportunities for integrating supply chains for building trusted defence ecosystems and future-ready capabilities," Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said on X after meeting EU foreign and security affairs chief Kaja Kallas.
"Looking forward to greater cooperation between India and the EU countries," he added.
The meeting took place ahead of India-EU summit talks where both sides signed a historic free trade agreement (FTA), being dubbed as the "mother of all deals".
With the signing of the deal, India becomes the third Asian country to have such a deal with the EU after Japan and South Korea.
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