Australian and Indian defence officials are gathering in Canberra for the inaugural 2025 Australia India Defence Conclave, a major step in strengthening military and strategic cooperation between the two countries.
The event, titled From Concepts to Capabilities: Next Steps for the Defence Relationship, is being held at Parliament House and coincides with the visit of India’s Defence Minister, Shri Rajnath Singh. His two-day trip marks the first visit by an Indian Defence Minister to Australia under the Modi government since 2014.
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence Richard Marles said Australia’s partnership with India had entered a new phase. “Our bilateral defence engagement is seeing deepened cooperation and interoperability to the benefit of both our countries; in support of a peaceful, stable and prosperous region,” he said.
The conclave, hosted by the Australia India Institute and supported by the Department of Defence, aims to move beyond diplomatic statements to practical action. It seeks to develop a concrete framework for collaboration, drawing on recommendations from the Institute’s report Building a Resilient Australia India Defence Relationship.
“This Conclave reflects our Institute’s enduring commitment to supporting frank, evidence-based discussions on how both countries can realise the full potential of their partnership,” said the Institute’s CEO Lisa Singh. “Through these discussions, we hope to inspire policy makers and practitioners to ensure we are contributing to a peaceful and prosperous Indo-Pacific region.”
Experts from defence operations, strategic and economic policy, industry, and academia will participate, focusing on areas such as maritime cooperation, defence technology, secure connectivity, and regional governance.
The day’s program includes a welcome reception hosted by Assistant Minister for Multicultural Affairs, Customs and Citizenship Julian Hill, a keynote address by Assistant Minister for Defence Peter Khalil, and a luncheon co-hosted by Special Envoy for Indian Ocean Affairs Tim Watts and Special Envoy for Defence, Veteran’s Affairs and Northern Australia Luke Gosling.
The conclave comes amid growing alignment between Australia and India across defence and security domains, driven by shared regional interests in maintaining stability in the Indo-Pacific. The discussions are expected to produce recommendations to further strengthen cooperation between the two nations’ defence institutions and industries.
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