India and European Union sign new security and defence partnership

Exam-focused facts from the 29 January 2026 current affairs briefing.

Key facts

India and the European Union (EU) have signed a security and defence partnership pact focusing on maritime domain cooperation and Indo-Pacific engagements.
The partnership will facilitate stronger participation of the Indian defence industry in the European market.
An industry-led India-EU Defence Industry Forum will be established with official participation as observers and associating EU member states.
A dedicated annual EU-India Security and Defence Dialogue has been announced.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh stated that the Indian defence industry can contribute meaningfully to the EU's 'ReArm initiative' aimed at diversifying suppliers and de-risking dependencies.