Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis with Prime Minister Narendra Modi

India and Greece are intensifying their defence partnership as Greek Defence Minister Nikos Dendias meets his Indian counterpart, Rajnath Singh, at the Manekshaw Centre in New Delhi on 9 February 2026.

The bilateral discussions centre on deepening cooperation across defence domains, building on recent milestones in military engagement, according to a senior Indian Defence official.

Speaking at the inaugural India-EU Forum 2026 in New Delhi on 7 February, Dendias described India as an indispensable partner for Europe, underscoring New Delhi's rising strategic and economic significance for the European Union and Greece specifically.

European views of India have shifted markedly, with Dendias noting that India is now regarded as a "necessary-to-have" ally amid evolving geopolitical dynamics.

Defence relations between the two nations have gained steady traction recently. In January 2026, they conducted their first-ever India-Greece Joint Services Staff Talks in New Delhi, establishing a framework for institutionalised military dialogue.

These talks, co-chaired by officials from India's Headquarters Integrated Defence Staff and Greece's Hellenic National Defence General Staff, explored avenues for exchange programmes, capability enhancement, and broader military-to-military collaboration.

Further momentum came in September 2025 with the inaugural bilateral maritime exercise between the Indian Navy and the Hellenic Navy in the Mediterranean Sea.

Hosted at Salamis Naval Base, the exercise featured a harbour phase from 13 to 17 September, followed by a sea phase on 17 and 18 September; INS Trikand, an Indian guided-missile stealth frigate, represented New Delhi.

Dendias arrived in India on 6 February at Rajnath Singh's invitation, holding prior talks with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on strategic and security matters before heading to Bengaluru to scout defence industry synergies.

This ministerial meeting aligns with broader India-EU momentum, including the landmark Free Trade Agreement finalised in January 2026, positioning defence as a cornerstone of the expanding New Delhi-Athens strategic relationship.

Based On ANI Report

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