India, Indonesia Strengthen Ties with New Defense Industry Push
India, Indonesia strengthen ties with new defense industry push. India’s experience in submarine development and supply-chain management — including its work on the Scorpene-class submarine programmer, which has been recognized by Indonesia as highly valuable for Jakarta’s future defense plans, the Defense Ministry says.
The acknowledgement came as India and Indonesia agreed to deepen defense industrial cooperation and push ahead initiatives aimed at strengthening regional security.
The Indian Navy’s Scorpene-class submarines are built in the country by Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Ltd (MDL) through a technology transfer arrangement with France’s Naval Group.
Six boats — INS Kalvari, Khanderi, Karanj, Vela, Vagir and Vagsheer — were commissioned between 2017 and 2023. A follow-on order for three additional Scorpene submarines is in the pipeline to bolster India’s indigenous submarine production capability.
During wide-ranging talks in New Delhi, defense Minister Rajnath Singh and visiting Indonesian Defense Minister Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin resolved to work towards establishing a joint defense industry cooperation committee that will facilitate collaboration in technology transfer, joint R&D, certification alignment and supply-chain integration.
Against the backdrop of China’s growing assertiveness in the region, both sides reiterated the importance of maintaining a free, open and peaceful Indo-Pacific, guided by international law and respect for sovereignty. Indonesia reaffirmed that India remains a key partner in promoting peace and cooperation, noting the shared principles underpinning the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific and India’s Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative.
According to the defense Ministry, the two countries committed to enhancing practical cooperation in maritime domain awareness, cyber resilience and joint operational readiness. They also highlighted steady progress in joint military exercises across land, sea and air, and agreed to expand officer exchanges, joint training programers, and visits to defense education institutions to bolster interoperability.
Both nations reaffirmed their commitment to maritime security in the Indian Ocean and discussed avenues for deeper coordination.
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India and Indonesia also expressed support for a just and lasting peace in Palestine, identifying opportunities to cooperate in humanitarian assistance, post-conflict reconstruction and multilateral peace initiatives. Indonesia conveyed its readiness to contribute peacekeeping personnel to Gaza under a UN mandate.
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As a gesture of goodwill, India announced the gifting of horses and a ceremonial carriage from the Indian Army’s Remount Veterinary Corps to Indonesia.
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Both ministers expressed satisfaction with the outcome of the dialogue, emphasizing the need to sustain high-level engagement and strengthen structured cooperation across multiple defense and security domains to help ensure peace, stability and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region.