The North News
New Delhi, October 6
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will embark on a two-day official visit to Australia on October 9 and 10 at the invitation of Australia’s Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister, Richard Marles. The visit comes as India and Australia mark five years of their Comprehensive Strategic Partnership (CSP)—a milestone in bilateral relations that have strengthened steadily over the past decade. It will also be the first visit by an Indian Defence Minister to Australia since 2014. During his visit, Rajnath Singh will hold high-level talks with his Australian counterpart in Canberra to review regional security challenges and explore new initiatives to enhance defence cooperation. He will also chair a business roundtable in Sydney, bringing together industry leaders from both nations to discuss joint opportunities in defence manufacturing and technology.
Three key agreements are expected to be signed, focusing on information sharing, maritime collaboration, and joint activities, signalling a deepening of the defence partnership. Defence ties between the two countries have expanded significantly in recent years, encompassing military-to-military exchanges, training programmes, ship visits, and joint exercises such as AUSINDEX and Malabar.
India and Australia elevated their relationship from a Strategic Partnership in 2009 to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in 2020. Both nations share democratic values, Commonwealth traditions, and growing economic and security cooperation under the Indo-Pacific framework. The partnership is also reinforced by strong people-to-people connections — from the large Indian diaspora and students in Australian universities to cultural and sporting exchanges, including cricket diplomacy. Richard Marles last visited India in June 2025, when he met Rajnath Singh and called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, underscoring the continuity in high-level engagement between the two nations.
