New Delhi – In a significant move to strengthen bilateral defence ties, India and South Africa exchanged two agreements in the domain of submarine cooperation during the 9th Joint Defence Committee (JDC) meeting held in Johannesburg on June 23 and 24, the Ministry of Defence said on Tuesday.
The Indian delegation was led by Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh, while Acting Secretary for Defence, Thobekile Gamede, headed the South African side.
The meeting began with opening remarks by the two co-chairs, who set the agenda and guided the two sub-committees under the JDC — one focusing on Defence Policy and Military Cooperation, and the other on Defence Acquisition, Production, Research, and Development.
Both sides gave detailed briefings on their respective defence industry capabilities. Highlighting the strong historical bonds between the two nations, Singh emphasized the “historic relations” with South Africa and expressed satisfaction over the “significant progress” made in defence cooperation.
He further underlined India’s advances in defence manufacturing and exports, reiterating the country’s commitment to deepen strategic collaboration with South Africa.
“On the second day of the meeting, areas of mutual interest were discussed and a way forward for further strengthening of India-South Africa relations was identified,” the Defence Ministry noted.
As part of the outcome, two newly signed agreements in submarine cooperation were formally exchanged. The details of these agreements were not disclosed, but they are expected to bolster naval defence collaboration between the two countries.
The Indian delegation included senior officials from the Ministry of Defence, the Department of Defence Production, the armed services, and representatives from the Indian High Commission in South Africa.
The ministry also highlighted the historical depth of India-South Africa ties, stating:
“India-South Africa relations have a shared history, deeply rooted in the commonality of struggle against colonialism. Defence collaboration between the two countries dates back to 1996, when the MoU on ‘Cooperation in the field of Defence Equipment’ was signed, which was further upgraded by an MoU in 2000.”
This latest development marks another step toward expanding strategic and technological defence partnerships, with submarine cooperation now emerging as a key area of focus.