NEW DELHI, India - India and Canada have held their first-ever Defence Dialogue, agreeing to deepen military and defence-industry cooperation in the latest step in the rebuilding of the bilateral relationship.
The inaugural edition of the India-Canada Defence Dialogue was held virtually on November 3, 2026. The meeting was co-chaired by Dr. Amit Telang, Joint Secretary (International Cooperation) in India’s Ministry of Defence, and Scott Millar, Assistant Deputy Minister (Policy) in Canada’s Department of National Defence.
Defence industrial cooperation emerged as an important area of engagement, alongside military-technical cooperation and defence research and development, which were identified as priority areas for further collaboration. The two sides exchanged views on their respective defence policies and strategic outlooks and discussed specific deliverables to advance and strengthen the partnership.
The dialogue reaffirmed the shared commitment at the leadership level to expand defence and strategic engagement between the two countries, as reflected in the Joint Statement issued on March 2, 2026 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Prime Minister Mark Carney. Both sides exchanged perspectives on regional and global issues and agreed to remain in touch to take forward the discussions and proposals.
The dialogue follows a year of steady repair in India-Canada relations, including the March joint statement by the two prime ministers and the resumption of ministerial-level engagement on trade. For Surrey’s large Indian diaspora, the defence talks are another signal that the two governments are rebuilding practical cooperation after years of strain, with direct relevance to families who travel, do business and maintain ties in both countries.
(Source: Press Information Bureau, Ministry of Defence, Government of India, November 4, 2026)
