India and Zimbabwe have reaffirmed their commitment to deepening bilateral defence cooperation during the inaugural meeting of the India-Zimbabwe Joint Defence Committee (JDC), held in New Delhi today.
Co-chaired by Joint Secretary (International Cooperation) Amitabh Prasad and Zimbabwe’s Permanent Secretary for Defence, Mr Aaron Daniel Tonde Nhepera, the meeting marked a significant milestone in the growing strategic partnership between the two nations. Mr Nhepera is leading a 12-member high-level delegation on a two-day visit to India.
During the discussions, both sides reviewed ongoing defence engagements and agreed to expand cooperation in key areas, including military training, maintenance support and the sustainment of common air assets. The two countries also explored opportunities for collaboration in emerging domains such as defence manufacturing, counter-terrorism, border management and United Nations peacekeeping operations.
The meeting operationalised the objectives outlined in the Memorandum of Understanding on Defence Cooperation signed by the Defence Ministers of India and Zimbabwe on the sidelines of Aero India 2025. Officials noted that the framework would provide greater momentum to defence exchanges and capacity-building initiatives between the armed forces of both nations.
The Indian delegation included representatives from the three Services, the Department of Defence Production and the Armed Forces Medical Services, reflecting a comprehensive approach to defence engagement.
As part of the visit, the Zimbabwean delegation held interactions with representatives of India’s defence industry at DPSU Bhawan to identify potential avenues for industrial cooperation and technology partnerships. Mr Nhepera also paid tribute to India’s fallen soldiers by laying a wreath at the National War Memorial in New Delhi.
The inaugural JDC meeting underscores the steady expansion of India-Zimbabwe defence ties and highlights New Delhi’s continued efforts to strengthen defence partnerships across Africa through training, capacity building and defence-industrial cooperation.
