India, Malaysia Deepen Defence Cooperation at Military Talks

Both countries agreed to strengthen cooperation by expanding professional exchanges and encouraging greater participation in each other's military courses and training institutions.

India and Malaysia have reaffirmed their commitment to expanding defence cooperation during the 12th India-Malaysia Sub Committee Meeting on Military Cooperation (SCMC), held in New Delhi on 1 July 2026. The meeting was co-chaired by Joint Secretary in India's Ministry of Defence Amitabh Prasad and Assistant Chief of Staff for Defence Operations and Training of the Malaysian Armed Forces, Major General Amer Mahmud Bin Abdul Rahman. Officials reviewed the full range of military cooperation and expressed satisfaction with the steady progress made since the previous meeting. Discussions covered military exchanges, bilateral exercises, training programmes, staff talks, capacity building, maritime cooperation and collaboration in emerging areas of defence.

New focus on technology, cyber security and regional stability

Both countries agreed to strengthen cooperation by expanding professional exchanges and encouraging greater participation in each other's military courses and training institutions. The delegations also explored opportunities to increase collaboration in defence manufacturing, defence technology, cyber security and humanitarian assistance and disaster relief.

India and Malaysia appreciated each other's active participation under the ASEAN Defence Ministers' Meeting-Plus (ADMM-Plus) framework and reaffirmed their commitment to working together through the Experts' Working Group on Counter-Terrorism.

The two sides also exchanged views on regional and global security developments while reiterating their shared commitment to maintaining peace, stability, security and freedom of navigation across the Indo-Pacific in accordance with international law.

Meeting strengthens India-Malaysia strategic partnership

The discussions highlighted the growing importance of defence cooperation as a key pillar of the India-Malaysia Enhanced Strategic Partnership. Both countries agreed to continue building stronger military ties based on mutual trust, shared interests and a common vision for a secure and prosperous Indo-Pacific region.

The SCMC serves as the main military-to-military consultation mechanism between the two nations and lays the groundwork for the India-Malaysia Defence Cooperation Meeting held at the Defence Secretary level. Officials said the outcomes of this year's meeting would provide a strong foundation for the next round of high-level defence dialogue.

During the visit, the Malaysian delegation also met Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh, visited DPSU Bhawan at the World Trade Centre in New Delhi and paid tribute to India's fallen soldiers by laying a wreath at the National War Memorial.