Defence Minister Rajnath Singh visited the historic naval base HMAS Kuttabul in Sydney on Friday as part of his ongoing tour of Australia. Accompanied by Australia’s Assistant Minister of Defence Peter Khalil, Singh was briefed on the state-of-the-art facilities at Sydney Harbour and taken on a guided tour aboard Admiral Hudson.
The visit highlighted the growing synergy between India and Australia’s maritime forces and underscored the importance of strengthening cooperation in Maritime Domain Awareness (MDA) across the Indo-Pacific region. Both leaders reaffirmed their commitment to deeper naval collaboration to ensure regional stability, security, and prosperity.
Later in the day, Singh and Khalil co-chaired the inaugural India–Australia Defence Industry Business Roundtable, aimed at advancing industrial partnerships and capability development between the two nations. The discussions centred around defence technology, manufacturing, and innovation, with a focus on leveraging India’s ‘Make in India’ and ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’ initiatives to create opportunities for joint projects and co-development.
Leading representatives from the defence industries of both countries participated in the roundtable and expressed strong interest in exploring collaborations and investments to strengthen the India–Australia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.
In the evening, Singh addressed members of the Indian community at a special event hosted by the Consulate General of India in Sydney, where he lauded their role in deepening cultural, economic, and strategic ties between the two nations.