India and Brunei Formalize Defence Ties with Maiden Joint Working Group Meeting

India and Brunei have held the first meeting of their Joint Working Group (JWG) on Defence Cooperation in New Delhi, signalling the shift to a more structured, institutional framework for their defence relationship. Deepening military ties, enhancing maritime security in the Indo-Pacific, and exploring new vistas in defence technology and industry collaboration were discussed during the meeting.

Launch of the Joint Working Group

The maiden JWG meeting marked the formal operationalization of a dedicated mechanism to steer India–Brunei defence engagement. Before the discussions began, both sides signed the Terms of Reference, thereby formally establishing the JWG with its scope and working procedures.

The JWG is mandated to regularly review the status of current defence cooperation and identify new avenues for collaboration in order to ensure continuity beyond individual visits or ad hoc dialogues. By institutionalizing the process, India and Brunei thus aim to make their defence partnership more predictable, focused and outcome-oriented.

Key Focus Areas of Defence Dialogue

Deliberations at the first JWG focused on expanding military-to-military exchanges, including more frequent visits, training programmes and professional interactions between the armed forces of both countries. Both sides discussed scaling up the scope of joint training activities, which could include courses, exercises and capacity-building in areas of mutual interest.

Maritime security emerged as a major priority, with emphasis on safe and secure sea lanes, information sharing, and cooperation in humanitarian assistance and disaster relief operations. The delegations also underlined the importance of training, skills development, and institutional linkages to build long-term interoperability and familiarity between their defence establishments.

Defence Industry and Technology Cooperation

The JWG highlighted the potential for defense industry cooperation in areas like technical alliances, cooperative initiatives, and exposure to Indian defense manufacturing capacity. Poh Kui Choon, the Deputy Permanent Secretary of Brunei and co-chair of the JWG, visited the new DPSU Bhawan in New Delhi, which houses all 16 of India's Defense Public Sector Undertakings.

The visit to DPSU Bhawan opened the door for future project or procurement pathway exploration while showcasing India's expanding defense industrial base, innovation environment, and export potential to Bruneian officials. These kinds of interactions aim to link realistic industry-level cooperation with policy-level defense discourse.