Defence Minister Rajnath Singh held talks with his Dutch counterpart, Ruben Berkelmans, in New Delhi on Tuesday, focusing on deepening India-Netherlands defence collaboration across a wide spectrum, including the Indo-Pacific, cybersecurity, and emerging technologies like artificial intelligence (AI). Singh described Berkelmans as “young and dynamic,” noting their shared intent to “further deepen and elevate our defence partnership.”

In a post on X, Singh said, “Delighted to meet the Defence Minister of Netherlands, Mr. Ruben Berkelmans in New Delhi. We reviewed the full range of India-Netherlands defence cooperation. The areas of our discussion included defence, cybersecurity, Indo-Pacific and emerging technologies like AI.” The Defence Ministry’s statement highlighted explorations into shipbuilding, equipment, and space sector collaboration, leveraging the complementary strengths of both nations in skills, technology, and scale.

The discussions underscored elevating bilateral ties in defence, security, and information exchanges, with a focus on joint work in AI and connecting defence technology research institutes. Berkelmans’ visit, his first since taking office in July 2024, builds on prior engagements, like the 2023 MoU on defence cooperation, aiming to bolster strategic alignment amid shared interests in a rules-based Indo-Pacific and technological innovation. The talks signal a robust push to expand a partnership rooted in India’s growing defence exports and the Netherlands’ advanced industrial base.