Greek Defence Minister Nikos Dendias arrived in India on Friday for an official visit, extended by invitation from his counterpart Rajnath Singh, set to continue until February 9.
Dendias will hold bilateral talks with Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar to enhance defence cooperation and discuss regional security challenges.
Greek Defence Minister Dendias will also join a discussion at the India-EU Forum during his visit, focusing on international developments and security issues.
Greek Defence Minister Dendias will also travel to Bengaluru to explore collaboration opportunities between Greece’s and India’s defence industry ecosystems.
India-Greece ties and India-EU trade deal
Greek Defence Minister Nikos Dendias’ visit to India matches stronger India-EU ties after the ‘mother of all deals’, the Free Trade Agreement, was signed on January 27. This deal marks a top economic partnership between the world’s second and fourth largest economies.
The FTA covers a huge market worth over USD 24 trillion for two billion people. It gives India duty-free access for 99% of exports in textiles, spices, gems and more, while protecting key sectors. Trade already hit USD 136 billion last year, with big room to grow for businesses and jobs.
India’s expanding Defence cooperation
India and Greece have ramped up defence cooperation through joint exercises and high-level talks, this includes the first-ever Joint Services Staff Talks in New Delhi in January 2026, focusing on exchanges, training, and capability building.
The maiden bilateral naval exercise in the Mediterranean in September 2025 and a Passing Exercise near Mumbai in 2025. The ongoing visit by Greek Defence Minister Nikos Dendias underscores industry ties, especially defence manufacturing in Bengaluru.
India’s expanding defence collaborations show a clear strategy to build new partnerships and grow exports.
Recent examples include Armenia’s interest in Astra missiles during CDS Anil Chauhan’s early February 2026 visit, which builds on their October 2025 cooperation program for training, technology sharing, and joint exercises, alongside deals for Pinaka rockets and Akash systems.
Greek Defence Minister Nikos Dendias’ ongoing visit to India after January 2026’s first Joint Services Staff Talks in Delhi focused on exchanges and naval exercises like the 2025 PASSEX.
Both efforts tie into India’s wider defence outreach with the EU and US to address regional challenges and strengthen manufacturing links in Bengaluru.
