Minister of State for Defence Sanjay Seth Meets Minister of State for Defence of UK Mr. Vernon Coaker in Mumbai
New Delhi. Minister of State for Defence Sanjay Seth held a bilateral meeting with the United Kingdom’s Minister of State for Defence (Minister for the House of Lords), Mr. Vernon Coaker, in Mumbai on October 10, 2025. The meeting was held on the sidelines of the visit of the UK Carrier Strike Group (CSG) to India.
During the meeting, both sides reviewed the ongoing defence engagements and discussed ways to further deepen cooperation between India and the United Kingdom. Minister of State for Defence noted with satisfaction that the UK CSG, led by Prince of Wales, successfully completed the sea phase of the bilateral maritime exercise Konkan-25 with the Indian Navy off the western coast of India. The CSG is currently engaged in the harbour phase activities at Mumbai and Goa.
Mr. Sanjay Seth emphasized that such operational interactions enhance mutual understanding of operational philosophies and significantly contribute to interoperability between the two navies. During the meeting, both ministers reviewed the various facets of bilateral defence cooperation and discussed about India’s growing capabilities in manufacturing equipment and development of indigenous systems bolstering Aatmanirbharta. They reaffirmed their commitment to strengthen the ties in all spheres including collaboration and opportunities in Global Defence Supply Chains. They also reiterated their commitment to strengthen maritime cooperation in the Indo-Pacific and Indian Ocean Region in support of a free, open and rules-based world order to ensure freedom of navigation.
Both sides reaffirmed their commitment to a robust, multifaceted and mutually beneficial defence partnership, guided by the India-UK Comprehensive Strategic Partnership and the ‘India-UK Vision 2035’, adopted during the visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in July 2025 to the United Kingdom.
