Stronger at Sea: What the Indian Defence Secretary's Cyprus Visit Means for Us

Defence rarely makes headlines in our community WhatsApp groups. But this week's visit by India's Defence Secretary, Shri Rajesh Kumar Singh, is worth a closer look: in two packed days, India and Cyprus mapped out how their armed forces, navies and defence companies will work together for the next several years.

Here's what happened between 12 and 14 October, and why it matters to Indians living here.

Day one: the navy, industry and the UN

• Navy first. First stop: Mari, the navy's base on the south coast, and a meeting with naval chief Commodore Nicolaos Luca. India offered to help train Cypriot sailors and share its know-how. On the wider list: keeping a joint eye on the seas around Cyprus, working together on rescues at sea, exercising side by side, and Indian warships calling at Cypriot ports more often. Mr Singh's team then toured one of the navy's patrol ships, the Commodore Andreas Ioannides.
• Then business. Over at KEVE, the island's chamber of commerce, Cypriot companies from its defence and space cluster pitched their skills to the Indian side, and both looked at partnering on technology with civilian as well as military uses.
• A UN stop. Talks with the UN's top official on the island and the general commanding its peacekeepers (UNFICYP) covered the mission's work and India's long record in peacekeeping.
• A moment of respect. At Makedonitissa in Nicosia, the resting place of Greek and Cypriot soldiers who fell in 1974, Mr Singh laid a wreath.

Day two: setting the agenda for 2027

The centrepiece of Tuesday was Mr Singh's meeting with Cyprus's Minister of Defence, Mr Vasilis Palmas, attended by India's High Commissioner to Cyprus, Shri Manish. The two sides checked progress on the plan agreed for 2026 and sketched out next year's: more exercises together, more ship visits, and more training of each other's personnel. A standing channel for the two ministries to talk security regularly is also being considered.

New Delhi's Defence Ministry called the room for more industrial cooperation "untapped". On X, Mr Palmas pointed to three themes, namely defence manufacturing, cyber defence and new technology, and presented the meeting as another step up in the relationship.

In separate talks with Permanent Secretary Stelios Kountouris and Cyprus's Armament Directorate, the Indian side discussed how Indian companies could help supply, maintain and modernise equipment, and develop or manufacture systems jointly. All of this sits under a defence cooperation roadmap running from 2026 to 2031.

Before flying on to Greece, Mr Singh conveyed an invitation for Mr Palmas to visit India in the first months of 2027.

What experts say: In an interview with the Cyprus Mail, Professor Swasti Rao of the Jindal School of International Affairs, an adviser to India's Defence Ministry on industry and procurement, pointed to areas where the two countries could team up, from guarding the coastline and countering drones to safe communication links and defending against cyber attacks. She also floated a three-way arrangement bringing in Greece. These are her ideas, not agreed plans.

A final walk through Nicosia

Mr Singh stayed on for one more day. On 14 October, with Shri Manish, he looked out over the divided capital from the observatory at the top of the Shacolas Tower, walked down Ledra Street and stopped at the crossing point that leads to the north. Reports of the visit stressed that India's backing for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Republic of Cyprus remains a lasting commitment, one New Delhi has held for decades.

An old bond: Indian generals and Cyprus

India's link with the island's security is older than most of us. Three Indian generals commanded the UN force in Cyprus in its early years. The best known, General K.S. Thimayya, had already led the Indian Army; he died at his post in Nicosia in December 1965. The High Commission and the UN still mark his memory here, and a road in Larnaca carries his name.

What this means for you

• Look out for Indian Navy visits. More port calls are now on the agenda. When INS Trikand visited Limassol in September 2025, the ship held a public open day, a rare chance for families to step aboard an Indian warship.
• Opportunities for professionals and firms. Shipping, cyber, space and defence technology are where the two countries now plan to do more together. Indian engineers, IT specialists and companies with links to these sectors may find new openings.
• A stronger partnership helps everyone. Every step up since May's Strategic Partnership raises India's profile in Cyprus and can open doors for business missions and exchanges that benefit the community.
• Share the history. Next time you're in Larnaca, look for Thimayya's road, and tell your children about the Indian soldiers who served the cause of peace here.

Read also: 65 Years of Friendship: India and Cyprus Plan Cultural Exchanges for 2027

Sources: Cyprus Mail (Prof. Rao interview), IANS (14 Oct), Cyprus Mail (12 Oct), Cyprus Mail (industry talks), Cyprus Mail (13 Oct), ANI, Asianet Newsable, IANS via Social News XYZ, IANS (UNFICYP history), ThePrint (Thimayya), Wikipedia, News On AIR (INS Trikand)