India, Armenia Deepen Defence Ties With New Pact on Joint Innovation and Production

Yerevan, August 18, 2026; India and Armenia have taken a fresh step towards expanding defence-industrial cooperation with the signing of an agreement aimed at promoting joint work in research, technology development, innovation and defence production.

The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed during Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh’s visit to Yerevan, where he held discussions with Armenia’s senior defence and technology leadership on August 17.

The agreement is expected to create greater opportunities for the two countries to collaborate on defence technologies and explore joint production in areas of mutual interest. It also underlines the growing focus of both sides on strengthening defence industry partnerships alongside traditional military cooperation.

During his visit, Singh met Armenia’s Minister of High Tech Industry Davit Tadevosyan, with discussions centred on expanding cooperation in defence-related research, development and innovation.

The Defence Secretary also held talks with Armenian Defence Minister Suren Papikyan on ways to broaden bilateral military engagement. The discussions focused on identifying new areas of cooperation and further strengthening the strategic defence relationship between the two countries. India’s Ambassador to Armenia Nilakshi Saha Sinha was also present during the meeting.

Singh separately met Lieutenant General Edvard Asryan, Chief of the General Staff of the Armenian Armed Forces. The two sides discussed measures to advance defence cooperation, particularly in industrial collaboration and research and development.

The latest agreement comes against the backdrop of increasing defence engagement between New Delhi and Yerevan. Earlier this year, Lt Gen Asryan visited India and held discussions with Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh on bilateral defence cooperation. He also met Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Marshal A P Singh during the visit.

Singh’s two-day visit to Armenia, which began on August 16, reflects the expanding scope of India-Armenia relations, with defence technology, indigenous capabilities and industrial partnerships emerging as key areas of cooperation.

The new MoU is expected to provide a framework for both countries to explore deeper collaboration in defence innovation and production while supporting their broader efforts to build a stronger and more technologically advanced defence partnership.