Defence Minister Rajnath Singh is scheduled to visit Australia from October 9-10 for bilateral discussions with his Australian counterpart, Richard Marles, according to a statement from the Ministry of Defence.
This marks the first visit by an Indian defence minister to Australia since 2014, when the current government, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, took office.
The visit also coincides with India and Australia celebrating five years of their Comprehensive Strategic Partnership (CSP).
A key component of the visit will be a business roundtable in Sydney, where industry leaders from both countries will explore avenues for greater collaboration. Three agreements are expected to be signed, aimed at enhancing cooperation in information sharing, maritime security, and joint defence activities.
Defence engagements between India and Australia have expanded over the years to include military-to-military exchanges, high-level visits, capacity-building and training programmes, maritime cooperation, ship visits, and bilateral exercises.
India and Australia elevated their bilateral relationship from a Strategic Partnership in 2009 to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in 2020. Both countries share common values as pluralistic, Westminster-style democracies, and their ties are strengthened by longstanding people-to-people connections, the presence of Indian students in Australian universities, and robust tourism and sporting links.
Richard Marles last visited India in June 2025, where he met Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi.