Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh and Greece's Deputy Minister of Maritime Affairs and Insular Policy, Stefanos Gkikas, held high-level talks in New Delhi on 8 October 2026, covering bilateral defence and strategic cooperation with a sharp focus on maritime cooperation, coastal security, and shipbuilding. The meeting marks a notable step in the two nations' evolving maritime partnership, underscored by shared interests across sea lanes critical to global trade.

What Was Discussed

According to a statement from the Ministry of Defence, the two sides explored avenues for expanding defence and strategic cooperation, with maritime affairs at the centre of deliberations. 'As two prominent maritime nations, India and Greece have common interest and stakes in the maritime sector including the need to ensure safety and security of seafarers,' the Ministry stated.

The agenda covered coastal security frameworks, joint shipbuilding initiatives, and broader maritime domain awareness — areas where both nations have overlapping strategic priorities given their extensive coastlines and significant shipping industries.

Sagarmanthan 2026: The Visit's Context

Gkikas is in India on an official visit to attend Sagarmanthan, the Great Oceans Dialogue 2026, a multilateral maritime forum that brings together policymakers, naval experts, and industry stakeholders. His presence at the dialogue signals Greece's intent to embed its bilateral engagement with India within a broader multilateral maritime framework.

Ahead of his departure, Gkikas had met India's Ambassador to Greece, Ravi Shankar, on 1 October 2026, reaffirming Athens's commitment to strengthening maritime ties with New Delhi. The Indian Embassy in Greece confirmed the meeting and quoted Gkikas as saying Greece 'remained committed to strengthening maritime cooperation with India.'

Air Force Cooperation Also in Focus

The bilateral defence engagement extends beyond the maritime domain. In July 2026, Ambassador Ravi Shankar met Lieutenant General Demosthenes Grigoriadis, Chief of the Hellenic Air Force General Staff, to review ongoing air force cooperation initiatives. The Embassy noted that India's participation in the INIOCHOS exercise and Greece's participation in Tarang Shakti 'have fostered mutual understanding and partnerships' between the two air forces.

This cross-domain engagement — spanning naval, maritime, and air force cooperation — reflects a deliberate broadening of the India-Greece strategic relationship beyond traditional trade and diaspora ties.

Broader Strategic Significance

This comes amid India's intensified diplomatic outreach to European Union member states as part of its broader strategic diversification. Greece, a NATO member and major maritime power in the eastern Mediterranean, represents a valuable partner for India as both nations seek to secure critical sea routes from the Indo-Pacific to the Mediterranean. Notably, India's engagement with Greece also carries significance in the context of evolving dynamics around the Suez Canal corridor, through which a large share of India's trade with Europe passes.

With Sagarmanthan 2026 providing a multilateral platform and bilateral defence talks now on record, the trajectory of India-Greece maritime cooperation appears set to deepen in the months ahead.