India and Fiji Expand Defence and Maritime Cooperation at Second Joint Working Group Meeting

India and Fiji have agreed to deepen bilateral defence and maritime cooperation across military training, capacity building, cyber training, defence industry collaboration and service-to-service engagements during the second India-Fiji Bilateral Joint Working Group meeting held in New Delhi on September 28, 2026.

The meeting reflected the steady expansion of India-Fiji defence relations, with particular emphasis on maritime security, specialised naval training and stronger institutional cooperation between the two countries’ armed forces.

India and Fiji Discuss Wider Defence Cooperation

During the meeting, India and Fiji discussed military training, capacity building, maritime security, cyber training, defence industry cooperation and closer interaction between their respective services.

Both sides expressed satisfaction with the growth of bilateral defence engagements and reaffirmed their intention to expand cooperation in mutually beneficial areas.

India also reiterated the importance it attaches to Fiji and other Pacific Island Countries within its vision of a free, open, inclusive and secure Indo-Pacific.

Maritime Security Emerges as a Key Area

Maritime cooperation formed a major part of the discussions, reflecting Fiji’s strategic location in the Pacific and India’s expanding engagement with island nations across the Indo-Pacific.

The two sides examined opportunities for stronger coordination in maritime security, professional naval training and technical capacity building. These initiatives are intended to improve operational familiarity and professional exchanges between the Indian Navy and Fiji’s maritime forces.

Fijian Delegation to Visit Southern Naval Command in Kochi

As part of efforts to strengthen specialised military training, the Fijian delegation is scheduled to visit Kochi on September 29 and 30, 2026.

During the visit, the delegation will inspect facilities at the Indian Navy’s Southern Naval Command and examine possibilities for formalising advanced naval training cooperation.

The programme will also cover professional aviation training modules aimed at improving technical proficiency and operational coordination.

As the Indian Navy’s principal training command, Southern Naval Command provides a natural platform for expanding India-Fiji naval training ties.

Defence Industry Collaboration Gains Attention

Defence industry cooperation also featured prominently during the New Delhi meeting.

Fiji’s Permanent Secretary for Defence and Veterans Affairs, Mason Smith, held separate discussions with India’s Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh on the sidelines of the Joint Working Group meeting. Their talks focused on strengthening bilateral defence and maritime cooperation, including opportunities for greater defence industry collaboration.

The Fijian delegation also visited DPSU Bhavan at the World Trade Centre in New Delhi, where it was briefed on India’s indigenous defence manufacturing capabilities under the Aatmanirbhar Bharat initiative.

India Showcases Indigenous Defence Manufacturing Capabilities

During the DPSU Bhavan visit, the delegation was introduced to technologies being developed within India’s defence industrial ecosystem, including advanced Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality simulation systems designed to recreate operational and battlefield environments.

Such technologies can support military education, technical training and operational familiarisation while reducing dependence on live training environments.

The visit also gave Fiji a closer view of India’s growing capabilities in indigenous defence equipment, training systems and military technologies.

Senior Officials Lead the Bilateral Defence Dialogue

The meeting was co-chaired by Amitabh Prasad, Joint Secretary for International Cooperation in India’s Ministry of Defence, and Mason Smith, Permanent Secretary for Defence and Veterans Affairs of Fiji.

Ahead of the talks, Smith paid tribute to India’s fallen soldiers at the National War Memorial in New Delhi.

India-Fiji Defence Partnership Moves Into New Areas

India and Fiji share longstanding historical, cultural and people-to-people ties, while defence cooperation has increasingly expanded into maritime security, training, cyber capabilities and defence technology.

The second Joint Working Group meeting and the planned Kochi visit indicate a shift towards more structured and specialised defence engagement.

With regular institutional dialogue now supporting practical cooperation, India and Fiji are building a broader defence partnership centred on training, maritime security and defence industry links.

---

References

Press Information Bureau, Ministry of Defence, Government of India — “Second India-Fiji Bilateral Joint Working Group Meeting Held in New Delhi,” September 28, 2026.

Ministry of Defence, Government of India — India-Fiji bilateral defence cooperation and Indo-Pacific engagement.

Indian Navy — Southern Naval Command, Kochi, and naval training cooperation.

---