Singapore and India have reaffirmed their commitment to deepening defence and strategic cooperation, with a strong focus on emerging technologies and regional security, during the 16th India-Singapore Defence Policy Dialogue held in Singapore on May 28.
The dialogue was co-chaired by India’s Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh and Singapore’s Permanent Secretary (Defence) Joseph Leong, said India’s Press Information Bureau in a statement.
The two sides reviewed the progress of existing defence engagements and discussed ways to expand collaboration across a range of areas, including military exchanges, defence industry partnerships, capacity building and regional security issues.
A key focus of the discussions was cooperation in emerging and niche domains such as cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, maritime security, unmanned systems and advanced defence technologies.
Both countries highlighted the importance of innovation-driven partnerships to address evolving security challenges in the Indo-Pacific and beyond.
The dialogue also underscored the value of continued collaboration in regional and multilateral platforms, including the Association of Southeast Asian Nations-led mechanisms and the ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting-Plus framework.
Both sides reiterated their support for an open, inclusive and rules-based regional security architecture and pledged to strengthen practical defence cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region.
The meeting highlighted the importance of sustained high-level exchanges and stronger institutional ties in advancing the India-Singapore strategic partnership. Both countries expressed their commitment to further enhancing bilateral defence relations in the years ahead.
As part of his visit, Mr Rajesh toured the Digital Operations Technology Centre of the Singapore Armed Forces’ Digital and Intelligence Service. The visit provided insights into Singapore’s digital warfare and intelligence capabilities and explored potential areas of collaboration between the armed forces of both countries.
The defence engagements continued on the sidelines of the Shangri-La Dialogue 2026, where Mr Rajesh met Singapore President Tharman Shanmugaratnam at a reception hosted at the Istana, reported news agency ANI.
Discussions focused on strengthening bilateral strategic ties and expanding cooperation in areas of mutual interest.
Mr Rajesh also held talks with Singapore Defence Minister Chan Chun Sing and engaged with senior defence officials from several countries, including Sweden and the Netherlands, as part of India’s broader efforts to deepen international defence partnerships.
The meetings reflected the growing strategic convergence between Singapore and India and their shared commitment to regional stability, security and technological cooperation.
The discussions come at a time when India and Singapore are marking six decades of diplomatic relations and have elevated their ties through a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.
Defence cooperation has emerged as a key pillar of the relationship, supported by regular military exercises, training arrangements and defence dialogues.
Officials from both countries noted that closer collaboration in technology, innovation and maritime security would further strengthen regional resilience and enhance interoperability between their armed forces.
