9 February 2026·PIB

Raksha Mantri holds bilateral talks with Minister of National Defence of Hellenic Republic in New Delhi

In this note

1. At a Glance

Bilateral defence meeting between India's Raksha Mantri Rajnath Singh and Greece's Minister of National Defence Nikolaos-Georgios Dendias held in New Delhi on 09 February 2026 [1].
Resulted in a Joint Declaration of Intent (JDoI) on defence-industrial cooperation and exchange of the Bilateral Military Cooperation Plan 2026 [1].
Operationalises the India–Greece Strategic Partnership (elevated in 2023) — relevant for GS-II (India's bilateral relations) and GS-III (defence/Aatmanirbhar Bharat).

On 09 Feb 2026, the two defence ministers signed a JDoI on defence-industrial cooperation as the starting point of a five-year roadmap [1].
Bilateral Military Cooperation Plan 2026 was exchanged, structuring service-to-service engagement for the year [1].
Partnership explicitly links India's 'Aatmanirbhar Bharat' with Greece's defence reforms under 'Agenda 2030' [1].

Diplomatic relations established 1950; historic civilisational linkages (Indo-Greek contacts since Alexander/Megasthenes era).
August 2023: PM Modi visited Athens — first visit by an Indian PM to Greece in over 40 years; bilateral ties elevated to a Strategic Partnership [2].
21 February 2024: PM Mitsotakis paid State Visit to India; chief guest at Raisina Dialogue 2024 [3].
Discussions on Mobility & Migration Partnership Agreement (MMPA); Greece joined the International Solar Alliance (ISA) [2].
Feb 2026: First major defence-ministerial level outcome of the Strategic Partnership [1].

Indian side: Ministry of Defence (Raksha Mantri Rajnath Singh) [1].
Greek side: Ministry of National Defence (Nikolaos-Georgios Dendias) [1].
Instrument signed: Joint Declaration of Intent on defence-industrial cooperation [1].
Plan exchanged: Bilateral Military Cooperation Plan 2026 [1].
Roadmap horizon: Five years [1].
Indian flagship linked: Aatmanirbhar Bharat [1].
Greek flagship linked: Agenda 2030 (Hellenic defence reforms) [1].
Strategic Partnership year: 2023 (Modi's Athens visit) [2].
Greece is a NATO + EU member; India's only Strategic Partner in the Eastern Mediterranean.

Geopolitical / Strategic

Greece anchors India's footprint in the Eastern Mediterranean, complementing IMEC (India–Middle East–Europe Economic Corridor) [2].
Counter-balances Turkey–Pakistan strategic alignment; Greece historically supports India's position on Kashmir and Cyprus reciprocity.
Defence-industrial JDoI broadens partner base beyond traditional Russia/France/US/Israel suppliers [1].

Economic / Industrial

Pairing Aatmanirbhar Bharat (indigenisation, defence export target $5 bn by 2025) with Greece's Agenda 2030 modernisation creates two-way co-production scope [1].
Potential exports: BrahMos, Akash SAM, ALH Dhruv, small arms; Greek interest in Indian shipbuilding and MRO.

Scientific / Technological

Cooperation envisaged in defence R&D, co-development, technology transfer under the five-year roadmap [1].

Administrative

Implementing nodal: Department of Defence Production (DDP) and DRDO on Indian side; complemented by General Directorate for Defence Investments and Armaments (GDDIA) on Greek side.

09 Feb 2026 — JDoI on defence-industrial cooperation signed; Military Cooperation Plan 2026 exchanged [1].
2024–25 — Indian Air Force participated in Hellenic Air Force's Exercise INIOCHOS; Indian Navy ships made port calls at Souda Bay.
Feb 2024 — Mitsotakis State Visit; Chief Guest at Raisina Dialogue [3].
Aug 2023 — Strategic Partnership announced during Modi's Athens visit [2].

Greek counterpart of Raksha Mantri in Feb 2026 meeting: Nikolaos-Georgios Dendias [1].
Document signed: Joint Declaration of Intent on defence-industrial cooperation (NOT a treaty/MoU) [1].
Plan exchanged: Bilateral Military Cooperation Plan 2026 [1].
Greek defence reform programme name: 'Agenda 2030' [1].
India–Greece Strategic Partnership year: 2023 (Modi's visit to Athens) [2].
First Indian PM visit to Greece in 40+ years: 25 August 2023 [2].
Greece joined the International Solar Alliance (ISA) during 2023 visit [2].
Roadmap horizon under JDoI: Five years [1].
Chief Guest at Raisina Dialogue 2024: PM Kyriakos Mitsotakis [3].
Greek air exercise with Indian participation: INIOCHOS (Hellenic Air Force).
Greece is a member of both NATO and the EU.
Indian flagship paired with Agenda 2030: Aatmanirbhar Bharat [1].

GS-II: India and its neighbourhood / Bilateral, regional and global groupings affecting India's interests.
GS-III: Defence — indigenisation, technology missions, Aatmanirbhar Bharat in defence.
Probable stems:
"India's growing footprint in the Eastern Mediterranean is shaped by strategic rather than commercial logic. Examine in light of recent India–Greece defence engagements."
"How does the India–Greece Strategic Partnership complement India's IMEC ambitions?"
"Discuss how bilateral defence-industrial JDoIs advance the goals of Aatmanirbhar Bharat in defence."

IMEC (India–Middle East–Europe Economic Corridor) — Greece is the European landing point.
Aatmanirbhar Bharat in Defence / Positive Indigenisation Lists — domestic pillar.
India–France defence ties — comparable EU partner (6th Annual Defence Dialogue, 2026).
International Solar Alliance (ISA) — Greece is a recent member.
Mobility & Migration Partnership Agreement (MMPA) — parallel India–Greece track.
India–Cyprus & India–Armenia ties — Eastern Med/Caucasus triad balancing Turkey.
Raisina Dialogue — flagship geopolitics conference; Mitsotakis was 2024 Chief Guest.
Exercise INIOCHOS — multinational air exercise hosted by Greece.

The Feb 2026 instrument is a Joint Declaration of Intent, NOT a treaty or defence pact; do not call it a "defence agreement" [1].
Greek minister's portfolio is "National Defence" (not "Defence") and his name is Nikolaos-Georgios Dendias — frequently misattributed to the Foreign Minister role (he held that earlier).
The Strategic Partnership was elevated in 2023, not during the 2024 Mitsotakis visit [2].
Greece is in NATO and EU — not a Non-Aligned partner.
Greek reform programme is 'Agenda 2030' (defence) — do not confuse with UN Agenda 2030 (SDGs) [1].