India and New Zealand have agreed to accelerate defence and security cooperation following the second Defence Strategic Dialogue, held in Wellington on August 24, with maritime security, joint military training and closer institutional exchanges forming the central agenda.
The talks were co-chaired by Amitabh Prasad, Joint Secretary in India’s Ministry of Defence, and Richard Schmidt, Deputy Secretary in New Zealand’s Ministry of Defence. The meeting was conducted against the backdrop of the two countries’ newly elevated strategic partnership and focused on translating the India-New Zealand Strategic Partnership Roadmap 2030 into practical defence initiatives.
Both delegations reaffirmed their support for a free, open and inclusive Indo-Pacific. The formulation reflects the importance both countries place on stable sea lanes, respect for international rules and cooperation among regional partners at a time when maritime security has become an increasingly prominent part of strategic planning.
The two sides reviewed proposals to widen military-to-military engagement across maritime, air and land services. Options discussed included joint training exercises, exchanges of personnel and partnerships between defence staff colleges. These measures are intended to build professional familiarity and create regular channels through which officers can share operational experience and training practices.
The dialogue also examined ways to improve coordination for future engagements. Defence relationships often depend on sustained working-level contact in addition to political meetings, and the proposed exchanges could provide a structure for more consistent interaction between the services and defence establishments of both countries.
Alongside the formal dialogue, the Indian delegation met senior representatives of the New Zealand Defence Force and Ministry of Defence. Meetings were held with the Vice Chief of Defence Force, the Commander Joint Forces New Zealand and the Deputy Secretary responsible for capability delivery.
Those discussions covered capital procurement insights, operational frameworks and planning for upcoming engagements. Cooperation in these areas can help each side understand the other’s systems and decision-making processes while identifying practical fields where experience, training or technical knowledge can be shared.
Maritime cooperation is likely to remain a major pillar because India and New Zealand are both closely connected to the wider Indo-Pacific security environment. Engagement can include professional exchanges, coordinated training and dialogue on challenges affecting shipping, regional stability and maritime awareness.
The meeting followed a summit-level interaction held the previous month, giving officials an opportunity to begin implementing strategic targets set by the political leadership. Both sides agreed that regular high-level and ministerial exchanges would be needed to maintain momentum.
The roadmap also gives both governments a reference point for reviewing progress over time. Regular dialogue can help prevent individual initiatives from remaining isolated and enable successful exchanges to develop into longer-term programmes across the services.
The next stage will involve converting the areas identified in Wellington into scheduled activities and measurable cooperation. The agreement to expand training, personnel exchanges and institutional links provides a framework, while implementation will determine the depth of the emerging defence partnership.
