India–Tanzania Joint Defence Cooperation Committee Reviews Military Ties, Explores New Areas of Collaboration

Cooperation in military medicine was identified as a potential new area of engagement, highlighting a shared interest in strengthening operational readiness and humanitarian response capabilities.

 

The fourth edition of the Joint Defence Cooperation Committee (JDCC) meeting between India and Tanzania was held in Zanzibar from February 2–3, 2026, marking another important step in deepening bilateral defence engagement between the two countries.

During the meeting, both sides undertook a comprehensive review of ongoing defence cooperation and discussed a wide range of areas for enhanced collaboration, including military training, service-to-service engagement, maritime security, and defence industry cooperation.

Expanding the Scope of Defence Cooperation

The two delegations explored new avenues to further strengthen bilateral defence ties, with discussions covering counter-terrorism cooperation, peacekeeping training, and capacity building in emerging and niche domains. These included Electronic Warfare (EW), Cyber security, and Artificial Intelligence (AI), reflecting the growing importance of advanced technologies in modern defence preparedness.

Cooperation in military medicine was identified as a potential new area of engagement, highlighting a shared interest in strengthening operational readiness and humanitarian response capabilities.

In a significant development, both sides agreed to initiate cooperation between their Air Forces, thereby expanding defence engagement beyond the existing cooperation between the Indian and Tanzanian Navies and Armies. This step is expected to enhance interoperability and deepen institutional linkages across all three services.

High-Level Participation

The Indian delegation was led by Shri Amitabh Prasad, Joint Secretary (Defence Cooperation), and included senior officials from the Department of Defence and the Indian Defence Forces. The Tanzanian delegation was led by Mr. Ibrahim Mhona, Chief of Operations and Training, Tanzania People’s Defence Force (TPDF).

The meeting was also attended by Shri Bishwadip Dey, High Commissioner of India to Tanzania, underscoring the diplomatic importance attached to defence cooperation in the broader bilateral relationship.

Strategic Partnership and Roadmap

India and Tanzania share a close, warm and strategic partnership, underpinned by historical ties, shared values, and growing cooperation across political, economic and security domains. Defence cooperation between the two countries is guided by a five-year roadmap, which provides a structured framework for sustained engagement, capability enhancement and long-term collaboration.

The successful conclusion of the fourth JDCC meeting reflects the mutual commitment of India and Tanzania to strengthening defence ties, enhancing regional security, and addressing evolving security challenges through cooperation, capacity building and technological collaboration.