India, Kuwait hold inaugural Joint Defence Committee meeting to expand military cooperation
New Delhi, August 28. India and Kuwait have agreed to further expand bilateral defence cooperation across a range of areas, including military training, joint exercises, military medicine, staff talks, defence industry and research and development.
The understanding was reached at the inaugural meeting of the India-Kuwait Joint Defence Committee (JDC) held in New Delhi on August 28, marking a significant step towards strengthening institutionalised defence ties between the two countries.
The meeting was co-chaired by Joint Secretary Amitabh Prasad and Brigadier General Raed Alsakran, who led the five-member Kuwaiti delegation.
The JDC meeting also marked an important move towards implementing the objectives of the Memorandum of Understanding on Defence Cooperation signed during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Kuwait in December 2024.
The Indian delegation included representatives from the three armed services, the Department of Defence Production, Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), Armed Forces Medical Services and the Ministry of External Affairs.
As part of the Kuwaiti delegation’s visit, Brigadier General Alsakran paid homage to India’s fallen soldiers by laying a wreath at the National War Memorial in New Delhi ahead of the JDC meeting.
The Kuwaiti delegation also visited DPSU Bhawan, where it held discussions with representatives of the Indian defence industry on potential areas of cooperation. An industry interaction with the Kuwaiti delegation is scheduled to be held on the second day of the visit.
The focus on defence industry and R&D is particularly significant as India seeks to expand defence-industrial partnerships with friendly countries and promote its indigenous defence products in international markets. Greater cooperation with Kuwait could potentially open opportunities for Indian defence companies in the Gulf region.
India and Kuwait have traditionally maintained close and friendly relations, underpinned by historical, economic and people-to-people ties. The two countries established diplomatic relations in 1962, while their bilateral relationship was elevated to a Strategic Partnership during Prime Minister Modi’s visit to Kuwait in December 2024.
Geographical proximity, longstanding trade links, cultural connections and the presence of a large Indian community in Kuwait have continued to provide a strong foundation for the multifaceted relationship between the two countries.
The establishment of the JDC provides a dedicated institutional mechanism to expand defence engagement and could give greater momentum to military-to-military cooperation between India and Kuwait, particularly in areas such as training, exercises, medical cooperation, defence technology and industrial collaboration.
