Defence Secretary holds key meetings at Shangri-La Dialogue 2026, pushes for Indo-Pacific security cooperation

📌 Summary:

• Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh held high-level bilateral engagements on the sidelines of Shangri-La Dialogue 2026 in Singapore on May 29, 2026

• India's theme at the Dialogue: "India's Defence Diplomacy for a Stable, Secure and Inclusive Indo-Pacific"

• Focus areas of meetings: (1) Strengthening defence partnerships (2) Maritime security cooperation (3) Regional stability in the Indo-Pacific

• Bilateral with Seychelles: met Chief of Defence Forces of Seychelles Armed Forces Maj. Gen. Micheal Rosette → Agreed to deepen India–Seychelles defence cooperation → Enhanced maritime security collaboration in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR) → Reaffirmed India's commitment to peace, security and stability with trusted regional partners

• Strategic context: aligns with India's SAGAR ('Security and Growth for All in the Region') doctrine and 'first responder' role in IOR

🎯 UPSC Relevance: GS3 Internal Security / Maritime Security; GS2 IR — defence diplomacy, India's Indo-Pacific outlook, IOR posture

📝 Prelims Facts:

• Shangri-La Dialogue = annual inter-governmental security forum, held in Singapore, organised by International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) since 2002
• Defence Secretary (India): Rajesh Kumar Singh
• Chief of Defence Forces, Seychelles: Maj. Gen. Micheal Rosette
• Seychelles = archipelago in Indian Ocean; key partner in India's SAGAR doctrine
• India's IOR initiatives: SAGAR, IFC-IOR (Information Fusion Centre, Gurugram), Mission SAGAR

🔑 Key Term: SAGAR (Security and Growth for All in the Region) — India's Indian Ocean Region (IOR) doctrine, articulated by PM Modi in 2015, centred on cooperative maritime security, blue economy and capacity-building for littoral states.