India-Ethiopia defence ties: Indian officials visit Holota Military Academy
Synopsis
India's defence engagement with Ethiopia is no longer ceremonial — it is institutional. The second Joint Defence Cooperation Meeting in Addis Ababa, followed by a visit to the Holota Military Academy, signals that a partnership dating to 1958 is being systematically upgraded under a 2025 Strategic Partnership framework, covering joint ventures, training exchanges, and peacekeeping cooperation.
Key Takeaways
Joint Secretary Sanjay Kumar led an Indian delegation to the Ethiopian Military Academy in Holota on 29 September 2026 .
The visit followed the second India-Ethiopia Joint Defence Cooperation Meeting co-chaired in Addis Ababa on 28 September .
Both sides agreed to expand cooperation through personnel exchanges , joint defence production ventures , and experience-sharing interactions .
The engagement is anchored in a Defence Cooperation MoU signed by the two countries' Defence Ministers in February last year .
India-Ethiopia defence ties date to 1958 ; the bilateral relationship was elevated to a 'Strategic Partnership' during the Prime Minister's visit to Ethiopia in December 2025 .
Joint Secretary in the Ministry of Defence, Sanjay Kumar, led an Indian delegation to the Ethiopian Military Academy in Holota on Tuesday, 29 September 2026, in a visit that underscores the deepening bilateral defence relationship between India and Ethiopia. The delegation was briefed on the academy's training capabilities and toured its facilities.
What the Visit Covered
According to the Ministry of Defence, Sanjay Kumar appreciated the academy's central role in shaping Ethiopian Army cadets. The tour included an overview of training infrastructure and academic programmes that the institution offers to officers and recruits of the Ethiopian military.
Second India-Ethiopia Joint Defence Cooperation Meeting
The Holota visit followed a high-level meeting on Monday, 28 September, in Addis Ababa, where Sanjay Kumar and Major General Teshome Gemechu, Director General for Defence Foreign Relations and Military Cooperation, Ethiopia, co-chaired the second India-Ethiopia Joint Defence Cooperation Meeting. The two sides discussed areas of mutual interest spanning military training, military exercises, medical cooperation, peacekeeping, and defence industries.
The Indian delegation comprised officers from the Department of Defence and Air Headquarters. India's Ambassador to Ethiopia, Devesh Uttam, also attended the meeting, signalling the diplomatic weight accorded to the engagement.
Agreed Roadmap for Deeper Cooperation
According to a statement released by the Ministry of Defence, both sides agreed to expand and deepen defence cooperation through exchange of personnel from training institutes, exploration of joint ventures in defence production, delegation visits, and experience-sharing interactions. This framework is part of the institutional mechanism established under a Defence Cooperation Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between the Defence Ministers of India and Ethiopia in February last year. The first India-Ethiopia Joint Defence Cooperation Meeting was held in New Delhi in October last year.
Historical and Strategic Context
India and Ethiopia's defence partnership dates back to 1958, making it one of India's oldest defence relationships on the African continent. The bilateral relationship was elevated to a 'Strategic Partnership' during the visit of the Prime Minister of India to Ethiopia in December 2025, marking a significant upgrade in ties. Notably, this is the second formal joint defence cooperation meeting under the MoU framework, reflecting a steady institutionalisation of what had long been an informal partnership.
This visit marks a pivotal moment in the evolving India-Africa defence architecture, as New Delhi seeks to expand its strategic footprint across the continent through structured bilateral mechanisms.
Point of View
But the Addis Ababa meeting signals something more than optics. A partnership that began in 1958 has now been structured into a formal MoU-backed cooperation mechanism — a template New Delhi is quietly replicating across the continent. The upgrade to 'Strategic Partnership' during the Prime Minister's December 2025 Addis Ababa visit was a political signal; the back-to-back meetings in September are the operational follow-through. What matters now is whether joint venture talk in defence production translates to actual industrial linkages, or whether these frameworks remain largely training-and-exercises exercises that do not build lasting capability on either side.
NationPress
29 Sept 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Why did Indian defence officials visit the Ethiopian Military Academy in Holota?
Indian defence officials, led by Joint Secretary Sanjay Kumar, visited the Ethiopian Military Academy in Holota on 29 September 2026 to be briefed on the academy's training capabilities and tour its facilities, as part of a broader defence engagement visit to Ethiopia.
What was discussed at the second India-Ethiopia Joint Defence Cooperation Meeting?
The meeting, held in Addis Ababa on 28 September 2026, covered military training, military exercises, medical cooperation, peacekeeping, and defence industries. Both sides agreed to deepen cooperation through personnel exchanges, joint ventures in defence production, and experience-sharing interactions.
What is the India-Ethiopia Defence Cooperation MoU?
It is a Memorandum of Understanding signed between the Defence Ministers of India and Ethiopia in February of last year, establishing an institutional mechanism for structured bilateral defence cooperation. The first Joint Defence Cooperation Meeting under this MoU was held in New Delhi in October last year.
When did India and Ethiopia elevate their ties to a Strategic Partnership?
India and Ethiopia's bilateral relationship was elevated to a 'Strategic Partnership' during the Prime Minister of India's visit to Ethiopia in December 2025, building on a defence partnership that dates back to 1958.
Who attended the India-Ethiopia Joint Defence Cooperation Meeting in Addis Ababa?
The meeting was co-chaired by Joint Secretary Sanjay Kumar and Major General Teshome Gemechu, Director General for Defence Foreign Relations and Military Cooperation, Ethiopia. India's Ambassador to Ethiopia, Devesh Uttam, also attended, along with officers from the Department of Defence and Air Headquarters.
