India has strengthened defence cooperation with Indo-Pacific countries during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s 6–11 July visits to Indonesia, Australia and New Zealand, highlighting a strategy to expand regional partnerships amid competition with China and uncertainty over the role of the United States. The key outcome was a reported $630 million deal with Indonesia for BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles and other defence cooperation agreements with Australia and New Zealand.
The Indonesia visit produced India’s largest defence export agreement to date, making Indonesia the third regional buyer of the BrahMos missile system after the Philippines and Vietnam. The India-Russia joint project has been promoted by Indian media as a major security tool for countries seeking to strengthen their maritime capabilities.
Indian outlets linked the missile agreement to growing tensions in the Indo-Pacific, particularly concerns over China’s military activities. Reports described BrahMos as a potential regional deterrence platform and highlighted Indonesia’s strategic position near the Strait of Malacca, one of the world’s key shipping routes.
Modi’s tour also marked a stronger focus on defence cooperation beyond India’s traditional diplomatic messaging about a “free, open and inclusive Indo-Pacific.” Agreements with Australia included expanded defence cooperation and a deal to supply uranium for India’s civilian nuclear programme, while New Zealand signed a Maritime Cooperation Arrangement.
Indian foreign policy analysts said the visit reflected a broader effort to build a network of partnerships with regional powers. Some described the approach as an attempt to increase India’s strategic space between the United States and China rather than align fully with either side. Commentators also pointed to efforts to expand cooperation beyond the US-led Quad grouping while maintaining India’s policy of strategic autonomy.
The effectiveness of the strategy remains uncertain. Some experts argue that India’s ability to project power in the region is limited by defence resource constraints, including pressure from land-border challenges with China and Pakistan. Regional analysts have also noted that Indonesia’s BrahMos purchase is relatively small and may have limited immediate operational impact.
China has responded cautiously to India’s expanding regional engagement. While official Chinese coverage has largely remained limited to factual reporting, Chinese analysts have described India’s partnerships with Indonesia, Australia and New Zealand as part of an effort to create a wider strategic network in the Indo-Pacific.
India is expected to continue expanding defence and maritime cooperation with regional partners, but the scale of its influence will depend on its ability to strengthen military capabilities and turn new agreements into long-term strategic partnerships.
