India and Czech Republic Deepen Defence Ties

India and the Czech Republic agreed to expand defence-industrial cooperation during a meeting between India's Defence Minister and the Czech First Deputy Prime Minister in New Delhi (October 2026).

The bilateral MoU on Defence Cooperation was signed in October 2003, which led to the creation of the India–Czech Joint Defence Committee (JDC).
The 7th JDC meeting was held in Prague in October 2025, after a five-year gap.
Building on this momentum, the October 2026 ministerial meeting agreed to further expand defence-industrial cooperation through the JDC framework.
Core thrust areas: joint ventures, co-production and technology collaboration — aligned with Make in India and Aatmanirbhar Bharat.
Bilateral trade reached US$ 4.034 billion in 2025.
India's exports: electronics, pharmaceuticals, textiles and engineering goods.
India's imports: machinery, automobile components and industrial equipment.
Multilateral support: The Czech Republic backs India's bid for permanent membership of a reformed UN Security Council and India's full membership of the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG).

A Central European, landlocked country with Prague as its capital.
Member of both the European Union (EU) and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).
Emerged as a sovereign state on 1 January 1993 following the peaceful dissolution of Czechoslovakia into the Czech Republic and Slovakia (the "Velvet Divorce").

Historical ties: India's links with the Czech lands date back to medieval trade with the Kingdom of Bohemia.
Diplomatic relations with Czechoslovakia began in 1947; India recognised the Czech Republic in 1993 after Czechoslovakia's dissolution.
Economic partnership: Steady growth in trade and investment, with complementarities in engineering, machinery and automotive components.
The JDC serves as the primary institutional mechanism for defence dialogue, alternating between the two capitals.

Defence indigenisation: Czech expertise in small arms, ammunition, radar and military vehicles can feed into Indian co-production and technology absorption programmes.
Industrial capacity: Joint ventures can strengthen the domestic defence manufacturing ecosystem under the Defence Industrial Corridors and SRIJAN/IDEX-type indigenisation schemes.
European outreach: Deepening ties with a EU and NATO member complements India's wider India–EU strategic partnership and its European outreach amid a multipolar order.
Multilateral gains: Czech backing on UNSC reform and NSG membership adds to India's diplomatic capital on nuclear and global governance issues.
Supply chain diversification: Central Europe offers an alternative source for machinery and industrial equipment, reducing over-dependence on a few suppliers.

India–Czech MoU on Defence Cooperation: October 2003.
India–Czech Joint Defence Committee (JDC): established under the 2003 MoU; 7th meeting at Prague, October 2025.
Capital: Prague | Region: Central Europe | Memberships: EU, NATO.
Czechoslovakia dissolved: 1 January 1993 → Czech Republic + Slovakia.
NSG: Nuclear Suppliers Group; India is not a member yet (has an NSG waiver of 2008 for civilian nuclear trade).
Bohemia: historical region of the Czech lands, key to early India–Europe trade routes.

Operationalise the JDC outcomes into concrete JV and co-production agreements with defined timelines.
Leverage Czech defence technology in ammunition, small arms and surveillance systems to boost indigenous capacity.
Use the defence-industrial track as an anchor to widen India–EU trade and investment engagement.