NEW DELHI: India and Fiji on Monday finalised a wide-ranging action plan to expand defence cooperation, following extensive talks between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Fijian counterpart Sitiveni Ligamamada Rabuka in New Delhi.
The plan marks a strategic step in India’s deepening engagement with the Global South and the broader Indo-Pacific, where China’s growing influence has prompted regional players to strengthen maritime partnerships.
“We have decided to strengthen mutual cooperation in the defence and security sector. An action plan has been prepared for this,” Modi said, adding that India will provide training and equipment to bolster Fiji’s maritime security capabilities.
Rabuka, who arrived in Delhi on Sunday for his first official visit as prime minister, witnessed Fiji and India signing seven agreements across a range of sectors including defence, disaster management, education, and sports.
Fiji is seen by New Delhi as a key partner in ensuring a free, open, and secure Indo-Pacific.
“India and Fiji may be oceans apart, but our aspirations sail in the same boat,” Modi said in a joint statement, underscoring shared values and strategic convergence.
Cricket and cultural diplomacy also played a central role in the talks. Modi announced that India would send a cricket coach to train Fiji’s national team as part of broader people-to-people ties, echoing previous initiatives where India supported cricket development in Afghanistan, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and the Caribbean.
In a symbolic gesture of sporting solidarity, Modi recalled that Fijian rugby legend Waisale Serevi had once coached India’s national rugby team.
Beyond defence and sport, cultural cooperation was spotlighted with plans to send Indian teachers to the University of Fiji to teach Hindi and Sanskrit. Fijian pandits will also visit India to participate in the Gita Mahotsav, deepening cultural and religious connections between the two nations.
Modi reaffirmed India’s commitment to the Global South, calling Fiji a “co-traveller in development.” He also pledged support for climate resilience and disaster response—pressing concerns for Pacific island nations like Fiji.
As New Delhi expands its strategic footprint in the Indo-Pacific, Monday’s agreements reflect a multidimensional partnership from maritime security to soft power that positions Fiji as a key regional ally for India in a rapidly shifting geopolitical landscape.