India and Greece Forge Ahead: A New Era in Defence Industrial Cooperation

In today’s global order, the move towards bilateral cooperation between India and Greece has been made by signing a Joint Declaration of Intent this February, aimed at enhancing defence industrial cooperation between the two nations. The declaration is not only a roadmap for the next five years for both countries, but it is also a Bilateral Military Cooperation Plan for 2026, which focuses on development, co-production, and technology transfers in defence manufacturing. This defence-related agreement has boosted India’s Aatmanirbhar Bharat (self-reliant India) initiative and Greece’s Agenda 20230 defence reforms, promising mutual benefits in a changing, volatile geopolitical landscape.

The most important part of the Joint Declaration is to expand cooperation between the indigenous defence industries of India and Greece. It focuses on areas such as joint research and development, co-production of military hardware and technology partnerships that foster innovation and self-reliance. The pact encourages the startups and defence companies from both nations to collaborate on projects and evolve advanced military technology like advanced weaponry systems, maritime surveillance technologies and reducing dependency on third-country imports.

The Bilateral Military Cooperation Plan (BMCP) for 2026 made a calendar for joint military exercises, training programmes, personnel exchanges and high-level visits between the armed forces of both countries. Thus, the initiatives are designed to bring interoperability and the ability of forces to operate together seamlessly. The pact builds mutual trust between the two countries. A notable provision is Greece's commitment to station an International Liaison Officer at India’s Information Fusion Centre - Indian Ocean Region (IFC-IOR) in Gurugram.

This move helps in real-time monitoring of maritime domain awareness, crucial for monitoring non-traditional security threats like arms and drugs smuggling in the Indian Ocean and Mediterranean Corridors.

The declaration also highlights shared strategic priorities, including freedom of navigation, regional stability and secure sea lanes of communication. In ancient history, India and Greece commonly shared maritime trade, confronting security challenges like piracy, trafficking and state-sponsored disruptions. Discussions during the talks highlighted global security concerns, reaffirming commitment to democratic values, mutual respect and peace. A collective framework, which has laid the foundation for a future that paves the way for sustained development for both nations.

The agreement is not a coincidence. For India, it has conflicts with all major neighbours, mainly two front border disputes with Pakistan and China. At the same time, Greece is facing instability in the Eastern Mediterranean on one hand and aggressive politics by Turkey in maritime boundaries & energy resources on the other. Now, the pact may potentially act as a counterweight to each other in their respective regions, leveraging NATO’s Greece arm for India and QUAD dynamics for Greece.

The declaration also has its economic dimensions, which will act as a base for both nations' economic development. These open the way for collaboration between defence firms of both nations, like Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) and Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL), with Hellenic Aerospace Industry (HAI). And a chance for Greece to buy our BrahMos missiles and Akash Air Defence Systems. It also reflects in our defence exports reaching new heights, while Greece's Agenda 2030 aims to modernise its forces through domestic production.

The Declaration creates new opportunities for the Indian defence Startups in European Markets. Creates new job offers in Indian defence industries and new corridors, hubs like Bengaluru, Hyderabad and improves the engineering capacity and assists the tri-service coordination in joint exercises and improves the real-time monitoring. It also shows India’s role in the India-Middle East-Europe Corridor (IMEC), where secure sea lanes are paramount. Geopolitically, India’s partnership with Greece signals the outreach to Europe, Countering narratives of over-dependence on the U.S. and Russia. Overall, it fortifies the strategic autonomy of India and projects its power capabilities towards the west.

Through the declaration, the Indian Navy frigates will incorporate sensor suites or joint drone swarms for surveillance. Additionally, such synergies cut costs by 20-30% through shared R&D, similar to the deals between India and France. This pact exemplifies “multi-alignment”, blending economic pragmatism with security imperatives.

Greece has many advantages due to signing the pact with India. With its defence budget strained by economic recovery following the 2008 crisis. The pact opens doors for getting benefits from the cost-effective Indian technologies. India's trademark weapon systems, like the Pinaka multi-barrel rocket launcher or Tejas fighter avionics, could modernise the Greek military. The Agenda 2030’s push for local production gains momentum through the co-production, revitalising shipyards in Athens and Salamis.

The decision of Greece to join as a member in IFC-IOR as liaison officer enhances Indo-Pacific monitoring, providing early warnings on threats migrating to the Mediterranean. Joint Exercises between the two countries provide a new experience of training to face hybrid warfare. This also helps Greece to face the intra-NATO frictions with Turkey.

Economically, Greek industries get a chance to access the Indian market, which is projected to hit $25 billion in defence spending annually. Technology transfers motivate innovation in the field of cybersecurity and AI-driven warfare, areas where Greece needs to focus to catch up with others. Geopolitically, the pact made Greece's involvement in the Global South, facilitating EU diplomacy on issues like Ukraine or Red Sea Security threats. For the defence sector of Greece, this agreement serves as a crucial support amidst financial limitations, promoting a “Hellenic Aatmanirbhar” spirit.

The ramifications of the declaration reach far beyond mere bilateralism. It strengthens the Indo-Mediterranean axis, connecting QUAD with the fringes of NATO. There is potential for the emergence of trilateral arrangements with France or Israel, which enhance the collective deterrence. The domains of nuclear and space security also have an impact due to this partnership.