Overview of Union Minister Rajnath Singh’s Visit to Australia from October 9 to 10, 2025

Union Minister Rajnath Singh, Ministry of Defence (MoD), was on a two-day official visit to Australia from October 9 to 10, 2025, at the invitation of Richard Marles, Deputy Prime Minister(PM) and Defence Minister of Australia, marking the first-ever visit of an Indian Defence minister since 2014.

• The visit aligns with the 5th anniversary of the India-Australia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership (CSP), signed in 2020.

Highlights of Union Minister Rajnath Singh’s Visit to Australia:

Visit to Canberra:

Arrival: On October 9, 2025, Union Minister Rajnath Singh arrived in Canberra (Australia) and received a ceremonial “Welcome to Country” and Guard of Honour at Parliament House in Canberra, Australia.

• He honored the Aboriginal custodians by taking part in an Indigenous smoking ceremony, symbolizing friendship and purification before official meetings.

Meeting with PM: During his visit, Union Minister Rajnath Singh met with Anthony Albanese, PM of Australia, at Parliament House and discussed enhancing the India-Australia CSP, focusing on shared democratic values and regional security.

Ministerial Dialogue:

Dialogue: Union Minister Rajnath Singh and Richard Marles, Defence Minister of Australia, co-chaired the inaugural India-Australia Defence Ministers’ Dialogue (DMD), aimed at strengthening maritime domain awareness, intelligence sharing, and tri-service interoperability to ensure a free, open, and prosperous Indo-Pacific.

• They reviewed the progress made under existing frameworks such as the Mutual Logistics Support Arrangement (MLSA), the Joint Guidance for Navy-to-Navy Cooperation (2021), and the Air-to-Air Refuelling Arrangement, signed in 2024.

Defence Agreements: During the meeting, India and Australia signed three significant defence cooperation agreements such as:

• The Implementing Arrangement for Mutual Submarine Rescue Support and Cooperation, facilitating underwater rescue coordination between the Indian Navy (IN) and Royal Australian Navy (RAN).
• It also includes the Agreement on Information Exchange and Defence Cooperation, with an aim to enhance secure and real-time data sharing between India and Australia
• The Terms of Reference (ToR) for Joint Staff Talks, to enable staff-level military exchanges and strengthen joint planning and coordination.

Air Force Demonstration: Union Minister Rajnath Singh along with Richard Marles boarded a Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) KC – 30A Multi-Role Tanker Transport Aircraft and witnessed an F-35 mid-air refuelling, showcasing Australia’s advanced capabilities and potential IAF-RAAF interoperability.

Meeting with Foreign Minister: He also held a bilateral meeting with Penny Wong, Foreign Minister, Australia, with an aim to discuss broader regional cooperation and enhance maritime security.

Visit to Sydney:

Defence Industry Roundtable: On October 10, 2025, along with Richard Marles co-chaired the India-Australia Defence Industry Business Roundtable in Sydney (Australia).

• The roundtable brought together senior officials, Chief Executive Officers (CEOs), and innovators from the defence sectors of India and Australia, providing a platform to strengthen bilateral defence industrial ties.

Outcomes: The discussion focused on Joint Research and co-development in emerging defence technologies, including Artificial Intelligence (AI), unmanned systems, and space capabilities.

• The roundtable explored defence start-up collaborations, industrial partnerships, and Indian shipyards’ Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul (MRO) potential to boost innovation and supply chain resilience between India and Australia.

Naval Base Visit: Along with Peter Khalil, Assistant Defence Minister of Australia, visited His Majesty’s Australian Ship (HMAS) Kuttabul, a major RAN base, located in Sydney Harbour.

Commitments: His visit concluded with the ministers of India and Australia reaffirming that the DMD will be held annually, alternating between India and Australia and committed to expand cooperation in joint maritime domain awareness, defence manufacturing, and information sharing on emerging threats in the Indo-Pacific region.

• Richard Marles, Deputy Prime Minister, invited India to participate in future iterations of Australia’s Operation Render Safe. He accepted the invitation of Union Minister Rajnath Singh to visit India for the Annual Defence Ministers’ Dialogue in 2026.

About Australia:
Prime Minister (PM) – Anthony Albanese
Capital – Canberra
Currency – Australian Dollar(AUD)