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The Shangri-La Dialogue 2026, held in Singapore, served as a major platform for advancing defence diplomacy and addressing emerging security challenges in the Indo-Pacific. On the sidelines of the summit, India’s Defence Secretary held a series of high-level bilateral engagements with defence leaders from various countries, focusing on strengthening defence partnerships, enhancing maritime security cooperation, promoting defence industrial collaboration, and ensuring a free, open, and rules-based Indo-Pacific.

About the Shangri-La Dialogue

Also known as the Asia Security Summit, the Shangri-La Dialogue is Asia’s premier defence and security forum. Since its inception in 2002, it has evolved into the most influential multilateral security dialogue in the Asia-Pacific region.

The summit is held annually at the Shangri-La Hotel, Singapore, and is organized by the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS), London, in collaboration with the Ministry of Defence of Singapore.

The dialogue brings together:

• Defence Ministers
• Military Chiefs
• Policymakers
• Strategic Experts
• Security Practitioners

from across the world to deliberate on regional and global security issues.

Agenda and Significance

• The agenda reflects the evolving security environment of the Indo-Pacific and covers both traditional and non-traditional security concerns.

Traditional Security Issues

• Maritime disputes
• Military modernization
• Defence partnerships
• Regional power balance
• Strategic competition

Non-Traditional Security Issues

• Terrorism
• Cybersecurity
• Climate change
• Disaster response
• Emerging technologies

India’s Participation and Engagements

India has been a regular and prominent participant in the Shangri-La Dialogue, represented by the Defence Minister, Chief of Defence Staff, Service Chiefs, or senior defence officials.

At the 2026 Dialogue, the Defence Secretary utilized bilateral meetings to deepen cooperation with key partners in the Indo-Pacific. Discussions focused on:

• Strengthening bilateral defence relations.
• Expanding maritime security cooperation.
• Enhancing military-to-military exchanges.
• Promoting defence technology and industrial collaboration.
• Supporting regional stability and freedom of navigation.
• Addressing common security challenges in the Indo-Pacific.

These engagements align with India’s vision of a free, open, inclusive and rules-based Indo-Pacific, consistent with its broader strategic initiatives such as SAGAR (Security and Growth for All in the Region) and the Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative.

Importance for India

The Shangri-La Dialogue provides India with an important platform to:

• Advance defence diplomacy.
• Build strategic partnerships.
• Shape regional security discourse.
• Promote maritime cooperation.
• Enhance defence industrial partnerships.
• Reinforce its role as a net security provider in the Indian Ocean Region.

The forum also complements India's growing engagement with regional groupings such as the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue.