India, U.K. review defence ties, focus on R&D and industrial cooperation

Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh and the Permanent Under Secretary for Defence of the United Kingdom, Jeremy Pocklington, on Friday (August 21, 2026) co-chaired the 25th India-U.K. Defence Consultative Group (DCG) meeting in New Delhi, reviewing bilateral defence cooperation with a focus on defence industry and research and development.

According to the Ministry of Defence, the two sides reviewed ongoing defence industrial cooperation, with particular emphasis on research and development under the India-U.K. Vision 2035 and the 10-year Defence Industrial Road map.

It said India and the U.K. also agreed to expand exchanges between their armed forces through joint exercises, training and capacity building initiatives. They acknowledged the robust maritime security cooperation between the two countries in the Indo-Pacific, including the establishment of the Regional Maritime Security Centre of Excellence under the Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative.

The two sides exchanged views on regional peace and security and reaffirmed their commitment to mutual security and strategic autonomy. They reiterated that the India-U.K. Strategic Partnership is anchored in shared values of peace, stability, freedom and mutual respect.

The meeting marked Mr. Pocklington’s first visit to India in his capacity as the U.K.’s Permanent Under Secretary for Defence. During his visit, he laid a wreath at the National War Memorial and paid homage to soldiers who made the supreme sacrifice in the service of the nation.

Mr. Pocklington also visited Gandhi Smriti Museum and the National Defence College in New Delhi.

He held a bilateral interaction with Chief of Defence Staff General N.S. Raja Subramani.

The visit underscored the longstanding defence cooperation between India and the U.K. and the regular exchange of views on issues of mutual interest.