First India-Brunei Defence JWG Held:
On 9 December 2025, the two countries, India and Brunei Darussalam, moved their defence relations a step further by having the first meeting of the India–Brunei Joint Working Group (JWG) on Defence Cooperation in New Delhi. Also, the two sides signed the Terms of Reference (ToR) that not only officially recognize the JWG as the body but also portray the JWG as the entity responsible for leading the partnership to the next level.
What actually happened?
The first meeting of the India–Brunei JWG on Defence Cooperation took place in New Delhi on 9 December 2025.
Before formal deliberations began both sides signed the Terms of Reference (ToR) that create and define the JWG’s purpose and working procedures.
The meeting was co-chaired by Amitabh Prasad, Joint Secretary (Defence), Government of India, and Poh Kui Choon, Deputy Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Defence (Brunei).
India and Brunei Darussalam today signed the Terms of Reference (ToRs) for establishing a Joint Working Group (JWG) to drive the implementation of Defence Cooperation, marking a significant step toward a new era of structured engagement and enhanced bilateral collaboration; the… pic.twitter.com/twgTIafIeZ
— Ministry of Defence, Government of India (@SpokespersonMoD) December 9, 2025
Key topics discussed included military-to-military exchanges and joint training, maritime security and sea-lane safety, Humanitarian Assistance & Disaster Relief (HADR), capacity-building, and opportunities for defence industry collaboration and technology cooperation.
First India-Brunei Defence JWG Held: Significance
Think of the JWG as the “operational gearbox” under a broader diplomatic engine: it converts high-level pledges into scheduled activities, training exchanges, and concrete projects. The JWG creates a predictable mechanism for reviewing progress, scheduling training/exercises, and exploring defense-industrial collaborations, rather than relying on ad-hoc visits. That predictability is especially important in the maritime context of Southeast Asia and the Indo-Pacific, where cooperative surveillance, search-and-rescue and HADR coordination have real, near-term benefits.
What the delegations discussed?
During the inaugural talks the delegations examined and agreed on a set of priority areas that will likely form the JWG’s first workplan:
Military-to-military exchanges and training: There will be an increase in the number of staff visits, courses and professional exchanges aimed at creating understanding and interoperability.
Maritime security & sea-lane safety: Measures taken to secure trade routes, sharing of information and maritime domain awareness are some of the areas where cooperation will take place.
HADR (Humanitarian Assistance & Disaster Relief): Regional natural disasters will be met with joint planning, and coordinated response frameworks.
Capacity-building & defence industry links: There will be technical training, potential supplier and industry engagement, as well as the involvement of defence manufacturing and technology in collaboration being explored.
These focus areas are typical for a bilateral JWG, the point is to convert them into a calendar of courses, ship visits, table-top exercises and industry dialogues.
India and Brunei First Defence JWG Launch: Full Report on JWG Inaugural Meeting
Background
4 February 2023: India–Brunei Defence Partnership was announced as a framework for deeper cooperation. The JWG is the implementation arm of that partnership.
9 December 2025: The ToR for a formal JWG were signed and the inaugural JWG meeting was held in New Delhi.
So this meeting is not an isolated event, it’s the operationalisation of a relationship that was already agreed earlier.
People Involved
India: Amitabh Prasad, Joint Secretary (Defence), co-chair for India at the JWG.
Brunei: Poh Kui Choon, Deputy Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Defence, co-chair for Brunei.
Other key contacts will include defence secretaries, service heads and defence industry representatives who will be named as programs move from planning into execution. The visiting Brunei delegation also held meetings with India’s Defence Secretary during the visit.
FAQs
Q: Is this a military alliance?
No. A JWG is a collaboration, an agreed common understanding framework between the parties to the defence engagement and capacity building, rather than a mutual defence pact. The main components are training, maritime security, HADR, and industry relations.
Q: Will India and Brunei conduct large naval exercises together?
The JWG is able to support exercises; however, any large-scale drills would be announced separately. It is possible that the first outputs will be more of training slots, staff exchanges, and smaller table-top drills.
Q: Does this affect regional geopolitics (China, ASEAN, Indo-Pacific)?
Cooperation that improves maritime safety and interoperability is in line with a stable rules-based order in the Indo-Pacific.
