India and Rwanda Agree to Expand Bilateral Defence Partnership at 2nd JDCC Meeting in New Delhi

NEW DELHI, JULY 07: India and Rwanda have agreed to substantially expand their bilateral defence partnership across military training, joint exercises, medical cooperation, and defence industries during the second Joint Defence Cooperation Committee (JDCC) meeting held in New Delhi on July 6 and 7, 2026. Co-chaired by Amitabh Prasad, Joint Secretary in the Indian Ministry of Defence, and Brigadier General Louis Kanobayier, Chief for Joint Force Development, Training, and Doctrine for the Rwanda Defence Force, the two nations finalized a time-bound implementation plan to execute the newly agreed-upon action items. The high-level Indian delegation included representatives from the Department of Defence, Department of Defence Production, DRDO, Ministry of External Affairs, Armed Forces Medical Services, and the Headquarters Integrated Defence Staff.

On the sidelines of the conclave, the Rwandan delegation called on Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh, where Brigadier General Kanobayier briefed him on strategic roadmap adjustments designed to deepen ongoing security ties. The visiting delegation also interacted with representatives of the Indian defence industry to evaluate the nation’s growing domestic manufacturing ecosystem, indigenous capabilities, and technological innovations, identifying key areas for future industrial collaboration. Furthermore, the delegation toured the Army Hospital (Referral & Research) to get a firsthand look at India’s advanced military healthcare infrastructure and specialized medical support systems. This successful iteration of the JDCC builds directly upon the foundational Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on defence cooperation signed in July 2018 during the state visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Rwanda, signaling a mutual commitment to fostering closer institutional alignment and regional stability.