India and Kuwait have agreed to deepen defence cooperation across several areas following the first meeting of the India-Kuwait Joint Defence Committee (JDC) in New Delhi on August 28, 2026.
The inaugural JDC meeting focused on expanding cooperation in military training, joint exercises, military medicine, staff talks, defence industry and research and development.
First Joint Defence Committee Meeting
The meeting marked an important step in implementing the objectives of the Defence Cooperation Memorandum of Understanding signed during the Indian Prime Minister’s visit to Kuwait in December 2024.
The meeting was co-chaired by Joint Secretary Amitabh Prasad and Brigadier General Raed Alsakran, who led the five-member Kuwaiti delegation.
The Indian delegation included representatives from the three Armed Forces, the Department of Defence Production, the Defence Research and Development Organisation, Armed Forces Medical Services and the Ministry of External Affairs.
Focus on Defence Industry
Before the JDC meeting, Brigadier General Raed Alsakran paid tribute to Indian soldiers by laying a wreath at the National War Memorial in New Delhi.
The Kuwaiti delegation also visited DPSU Bhawan, where it held discussions with representatives of India’s defence industry on possible areas of cooperation.
An additional interaction between the Kuwaiti delegation and Indian defence industry representatives is scheduled during the visit.
The discussions are expected to help identify opportunities for greater defence industrial cooperation and technology-related partnerships between the two countries.
India Kuwait Strategic Partnership
India and Kuwait share long-standing friendly relations based on historical trade links, geographical proximity and cultural ties.
The two countries established diplomatic relations in 1962. Their relationship was upgraded to a Strategic Partnership during the Indian Prime Minister’s visit to Kuwait in December 2024.
The large Indian community in Kuwait also remains an important part of the close and multifaceted relationship between the two countries.
The first meeting of the Joint Defence Committee is expected to provide a stronger framework for expanding India-Kuwait defence ties through training, military exercises, defence production, medical cooperation and research and development.
