NEW DELHI: The ongoing upswing in the India, Australia bilateral defence ties is to get a fillip as Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will undertake a two-day official visit to Australia on October 09-10, 2025, at the invitation of Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister of Australia Richard Marles.
The Ministry of Defence (MoD) on Sunday said, "During the visit, three agreements are planned to be signed, which will further enhance cooperation in the areas of information sharing, the maritime domain, and joint activities."
This, as per MoD, will also mark the first-ever visit of a Defence Minister to Australia under this government since 2014.
The key highlight of Defence Minister's visit will be the bilateral discussions with his Australian counterpart. The visit comes at a historic moment when India and Australia commemorate 5 years of establishment of India Australia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership (CSP).
He will chair a business roundtable in Sydney, which will be attended by industry leaders from both sides. He will also call on other national leaders of Australia. The visit will provide an important opportunity for both sides to explore new & meaningful initiatives to further strengthen the bilateral relationship and the defence partnership.
As reported by TNIE, India and Australia already have signed an arrangement which will enable the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) and the Indian Armed Forces to conduct air-to-air refueling.
Defence engagements have expanded over time to include wide-ranging interactions between the services, military-to-military exchanges, high-level visits, capacity-building and training programmes, cooperation in the maritime domain, ship visits, and bilateral exercises.
India and Australia elevated their bilateral relationship from a Strategic Partnership in 2009 to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership (CSP) in 2020.
The two nations share a deep bond rooted in common values- pluralistic, Westminster-style democracies, Commonwealth traditions, growing economic engagement, and increasing high-level interactions. Long-standing people-to-people connections, the presence of Indian students in Australian universities as well as robust tourism and sporting ties, have further strengthened the enduring partnership between the two countries.
Richard Marles last visited India in June 2025 and met his counterpart Rajnath Singh, and also called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi.