First Defence Dialogue Held Between India and Canada

According to a PIB Delhi report, the first Defence Dialogue between India and Canada was held virtually on 3 November 2026. The meeting was co-chaired by Dr. Amit Telang, Joint Secretary (International Cooperation) of India's Ministry of Defence, and Mr. Scott Miller, Assistant Deputy Minister (Policy) of Canada's Department of National Defence.

During the dialogue, both sides exchanged views on their respective defence policies and strategic perspectives. Ways to enhance bilateral defence cooperation were explored, with defence industrial cooperation being viewed as a key area of engagement. Additionally, military-technical cooperation and defence research and development were identified as priority areas for further collaboration.

The meeting reaffirmed the leadership-level commitment to expanding defence and strategic engagement expressed in the joint statement issued by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Prime Minister Mark Carney on 2 March 2026. Both sides discussed regional and global issues and considered specific outcomes to strengthen the partnership comprehensively. Both countries agreed to remain in contact to advance proposals for increasing bilateral cooperation.

Bilateral relations between Canada and India were established in the 19th century. Both countries are members of the Commonwealth of Nations and part of the G20 group. In 2023, the value of bilateral trade between the two countries was 9.36 billion dollars, with India's exports to Canada at 5.56 billion dollars and Canada's exports to India at 3.80 billion dollars.