Raksha Mantri meets High Representative/Vice President of EU Commission in New Delhi

**Executive Summary** The Raksha Mantri met with the High Representative/Vice President of the EU Commission in New Delhi on January 27, 2026, to discuss bilateral security and defence issues. Both leaders emphasized the importance of India and the EU working together in the Indian Ocean Region, integrating defence supply chains, and learning from each other's best practices through joint exercises. Ms. Kaja Kallas attended India's 77th Republic Day celebrations. **Key Points / Main Content** * **Bilateral Cooperation:** * India and the EU share the principles of democracy, pluralism, and the rule of law. * India seeks to translate these values into practical cooperation for global stability, sustainable growth, and inclusive prosperity. * **Defence Industry Synergy:** * Indian and EU defence industries must synergise efforts for larger global good. * This complements India's vision of Aatmanirbhar Bharat and aligns with the EU's pursuit of strategic autonomy. * The partnership will become a force multiplier by integrating supply chains for building trusted defence ecosystems and future-ready capabilities. * India's defence industry can play a role in the EU's ‘ReArm initiative', as the EU seeks to diversify suppliers. * **Indian Ocean Region Collaboration:** * Both sides must work together in the Indian Ocean Region. * Learn from each other's best practices through joint exercises. * The Raksha Mantri welcomed EU proposal of positioning a Liaison Officer (LO) at the Indian Navy's Information Fusion Centre-Indian Ocean Region (IFC-IOR) in Gurugram. * The EU LO at IFC-IOR would enhance operational coordination with the Indian Navy in counter-piracy and assessment of the threats in the Indian Ocean Region. **Impact Analysis** **Stakeholder: Indian Defence Industry** * **Impact:** Increased opportunities to contribute to the EU's ‘ReArm initiative' and integrate into global supply chains. * **Action Required:** Synergise efforts with EU defence industries to align with EU’s procurement needs, including participating in joint exercises and sharing best practices. **Stakeholder: EU Defence Industry** * **Impact:** Enhanced partnership with India to diversify suppliers and build trusted defence ecosystems. * **Action Required:** Collaborate with Indian counterparts, participate in joint exercises, and share best practices to leverage the partnership and the Indian defence industry's capabilities. **Stakeholder: Indian Navy** * **Impact:** Enhanced operational coordination in the Indian Ocean Region through the positioning of a Liaison Officer (LO) at the IFC-IOR in Gurugram. * **Action Required:** Integrate the EU LO at IFC-IOR, share information, and collaborate on counter-piracy and threat assessment activities in the Indian Ocean Region.

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