India and Egypt hold 11th Joint Defence Committee in Cairo; agree defence cooperation plan 2026-27
The 11th India–Egypt Joint Defence Committee met in Cairo from 20 to 22 April 2026, agreed a bilateral defence cooperation plan for 2026-27, and held the inaugural Navy-to-Navy Staff Talks on the sidelines.
Summary
The India–Egypt Joint Defence Committee (JDC) held its 11th meeting in Cairo from 20 to 22 April 2026, with the Indian delegation led by Joint Secretary (International Cooperation) Amitabh Prasad. The two sides agreed a bilateral defence cooperation plan for 2026-27 covering military interaction, joint training, maritime security, military exercises and defence production, and agreed to develop a defence industry cooperation plan. The inaugural Navy-to-Navy Staff Talks were held on the sidelines. The Indian side said India's defence production has crossed US$20 billion and exports are about US$4 billion to over 100 countries. India and Egypt signed an MoU on defence cooperation in September 2022.
Key facts
- Meeting
- 11th India–Egypt JDC, Cairo, 20–22 April 2026
- Indian lead
- JS (International Cooperation) Amitabh Prasad
- Outcome
- Bilateral defence cooperation plan 2026-27; defence industry cooperation plan to be developed
- First
- Inaugural Navy-to-Navy Staff Talks
- India's defence industry
- Production >US$20 bn; exports ~US$4 bn to 100+ countries
- Background
- Defence cooperation MoU, September 2022
Practice MCQs 2 questions
On the sidelines of the 11th India–Egypt Joint Defence Committee meeting in April 2026, which talks were held for the first time?
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Correct answer: B — Navy-to-Navy Staff Talks
The inaugural Navy-to-Navy Staff Talks were held on the sidelines of the 11th JDC in Cairo.
Consider the following statements about India–Egypt defence ties (April 2026): 1. The 11th Joint Defence Committee agreed a bilateral defence cooperation plan for 2026-27. 2. India and Egypt signed an MoU on defence cooperation in September 2022. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
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Correct answer: C — Both 1 and 2
Both are stated in the Ministry of Defence release on the 11th JDC.