India and UAE hold 13th Joint Defence Cooperation Committee
Why in the news
India and the United Arab Emirates held the 13th Joint Defence Cooperation Committee (JDCC) meeting in New Delhi on 9 August 2025. It was the first JDCC held at the Secretary level.
Key facts
- Maritime MoU: the Indian Coast Guard and the UAE National Guard Command agreed to cooperate on maritime security, search and rescue (SAR), anti-piracy, pollution response and real-time information sharing in the Indian Ocean Region.
- Manufacturing: the ICOMM-CARACAL small arms partnership was highlighted, with talk of co-developing AI and shipbuilding technologies, including refits and maintenance.
- Finance: a Local Currency Settlement System exists to ease cross-border transactions.
- Services: Army, Navy and Air Force held talks on joint exercises, training, expert exchanges and tri-service interoperability.
Trade context
| Indicator | Detail |
|---|---|
| UAE in India’s trade | 3rd-largest partner, 2nd-largest export destination |
| India in UAE’s trade | 2nd-largest partner |
About the partnership
The meeting reinforced the India-UAE Comprehensive Strategic Partnership across political, defence and strategic areas.
Exam angle
- Know the 13th JDCC venue, New Delhi, and that it was a first at Secretary level.
- The MoU was between the Coast Guard and UAE National Guard Command.
- Remember ICOMM-CARACAL as a small arms tie-up.