In January 2026, a top-level EU delegation visited India, resulting in two important agreements: a free trade deal and the EU-India Security and Defence Partnership. The latter promises to foster cooperation in numerous security-related areas and could open the door for India to participate in EU-led defence initiatives. This e-Note explores the geostrategic context that is bringing India and the EU closer, presents the current state of the EU-India defence industry cooperation and examines the impact of the partnership. It argues that the agreement can benefit both sides in geopolitical and industrial terms, including by potentially turning India into a supplier of expendable military hardware to the EU’s Member States.
Download e-Note 87Research lines: Europe; Indo-Pacific; Defence capabilities and technologies
Source image: President of the European Council, H.E. Mr. Antonio Costa … | Flickr © Indian Ministry of External Affairs (title and logos added according to CC BY-NC-ND 4.0)
