Johannesburg/New Delhi: India and South Africa have reaffirmed their commitment to deepen bilateral defence cooperation during the 9th Joint Defence Committee (JDC) meeting held on June 23 to June 24 in Johannesburg, South Africa.
The Indian delegation was led by Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh, while the South African side was headed by Dr Thobekile Gamede, Acting Secretary for Defence. The high-level dialogue focused on enhancing strategic cooperation across defence policy, military collaboration, defence production, and R&D.
The two-day meeting began with opening remarks by the co-chairs, who outlined the agenda and provided strategic direction to the two sub-committees under the JDC—namely, Defence Policy and Military Cooperation; and Defence Acquisition, Production, Research and Development. Both sides presented briefings on their respective defence industrial capabilities.
Highlighting India’s expanding capabilities in defence manufacturing and exports, the Defence Secretary underscored the historic and strategic ties between the two nations. He expressed satisfaction over the progress in bilateral defence cooperation and reiterated India’s commitment to further strengthen its engagement with South Africa.
A key highlight of the meeting was the exchange of two newly signed agreements in the field of submarine cooperation, marking a significant step forward in naval collaboration.
On the concluding day, both sides identified new areas of mutual interest and discussed actionable steps to advance defence ties. The outcomes of the sub-committee discussions were formally reported to the JDC.
The Indian delegation included senior officials from the Department of Defence, Department of Defence Production, the Armed Forces, and the Indian High Commission in South Africa.
India and South Africa share a longstanding partnership rooted in a shared history of anti-colonial struggle. The defence relationship began with the signing of an MoU on ‘Cooperation in the Field of Defence Equipment’ in 1996, which was upgraded in 2000. The latest JDC meeting reflects the growing depth and breadth of defence collaboration between the two strategic partners.
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