India Recognized as a Trusted Power in the Indo-Pacific at Indian Defence Conclave 2025
At the 10th Indian Defence Conclave in New Delhi, senior defence officials from Sri Lanka and the Philippines praised India as a principled and trusted partner in the Indo-Pacific. They emphasized the importance of strategic cooperation, resilience, adherence to international law, and indigenous strength in addressing complex regional security challenges. The India–Sri Lanka Defence Cooperation Agreement and expanding bilateral ties with the Philippines highlight growing partnerships focused on security, humanitarian assistance, and technological collaboration.
The 10th edition of the Indian Defence Conclave, held in New Delhi, featured prominent defence leaders from Sri Lanka and the Philippines who highlighted India’s rising role as a stable and principled power in the Indo-Pacific region. Sri Lanka’s Defence Secretary Air Vice Marshal Sampath Thuyacontha emphasized the need for deepened strategic collaboration and self-reliance through indigenous capabilities to address evolving security threats including cyber-attacks, climate crises, and asymmetric warfare. He underscored India and Sri Lanka’s shared responsibility to maintain the Indian Ocean as a zone of peace and secure maritime routes, praising the 2025 India–Sri Lanka Defence Cooperation Agreement for its comprehensive, multi-dimensional framework extending beyond naval security to areas like cybersecurity, environmental protection, and humanitarian aid. Philippine Defence Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. lauded India’s commitment to international law, particularly India’s compliance with UNCLOS and its role in promoting freedom of navigation, calling India a model for emerging powers. He highlighted the strengthening of Indo-Philippine relations, marked by cooperation in defence hardware such as the BrahMos missile system and broader sectors such as healthcare, energy security, and disaster risk reduction. Both officials called for collective regional responses and principled cooperation to counter geopolitical rivalries and unilateral attempts to alter the global order, advocating for a collaborative Indo-Pacific built on mutual respect, trust, and shared prosperity.
