India and Canada held their inaugural Defence Dialogue in New Delhi on Wednesday, November 4, exploring ways to strengthen cooperation in capacity building, military-technical exchanges and defence industrial collaboration, news agency IANS reported, citing the Ministry of Defence. Joint Secretary (International Cooperation) in the Ministry of Defence, Amit Telang, and Assistant Deputy Minister (Policy) in Canada's Department of National Defence, Scott Millar, co-chaired the dialogue.

Source: IANS

"Building on the momentum of high-level engagements, both sides explored avenues to strengthen defence cooperation in capacity building, military-technical exchanges and defence industrial collaboration, while exchanging views on regional and global issues," the ministry stated, according to IANS.

The dialogue follows a meeting last month between External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and his Canadian counterpart Anita Anand on the sidelines of the G20 Foreign Ministers' Meeting in Atlanta, where trade, critical minerals, defence and energy were discussed. In July, the two countries had agreed to enhance defence cooperation, with discussions between India's High Commissioner to Canada, Dinesh K. Patnaik, and Canadian Minister of National Defence David McGuinty focusing on maritime collaboration, defence capacity-building and training.

The first Defence Dialogue gives the renewed India-Canada engagement a formal military channel alongside the trade track. Canada's foreign minister has welcomed progress towards concluding a comprehensive economic partnership agreement by the end of the year, Nation Press reported.

Source: Nation Press

Nov 4, 2026Inaugural Defence Dialogue, New Delhi
2Co-chairs: Amit Telang (India) and Scott Millar (Canada)
3Focus areas: capacity building, military-technical exchanges, defence industry