NATO-India Relations: Advancing Joint Actions Through Complementarity and Dialogue

NATO-India relations have evolved significantly into a global defence and political importance. In an ever-evolving global trend marked by realignment and cataclysmic effects of globalisation, the participatory framework of partnerships with non-member states from different geographical regions shapes the democratic and security interests of nations beyond the transatlantic community.

Cover by The Geostrata

The relations between NATO and India go back to the events of ‘9/11’, shaping the dialogue for countering the non-traditional security threats. On the sidelines of the India-NATO dialogue in 2009, in New Delhi, the former Deputy Head of the NATO Secretary General’s Policy Planning Unit, Michael Ruhle, stated that the incident shaped the alliance’s views on effectively dealing with new security threats in the globalising world.

Despite India not being a NATO ally, the shared values of freedom, democracy, sovereignty, and human rights widened the scope of NATO-India cooperation. With India’s significant strides in missile technology and space capabilities, along with its growing capabilities in satellite surveillance, the scope for fostering effective cooperation with international security organisations, such as NATO, becomes vital in preserving regional and global security interests.

NATO’s expertise in facilitating the latest innovations in advanced technology and interoperability skills can benefit India in expanding its defence capabilities to counter asymmetric regional and global threats. Additionally, India can aid NATO member countries and allies to expand its defence capabilities and technological advancements through a cost-effective approach.

Similar positions of common security threats also surfaced in March 2025 during the inaugural NATO-India Youth Conference, organised by The Geostrata, in collaboration with the NATO Public Policy Division, Embassy of the Netherlands, and the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung (KAS).

This report intends to explore areas where India and NATO-member countries can collaborate to expand its capacity, advance technological relations and cooperation to ensure regional and global security threats in the face of aggravating global threats.

STRATEGIC AUTONOMY AND DEFENCE: INDIA'S ROADMAP IN INDIGENOUS DEFENCE DEVELOPMENT

The non-aligned approach adopted by the Indian authorities during the Cold War continues to influence current national choices. Seventy years after the contestations between the U.S. and the Soviet Union, nuclear weapon systems continued to shape their spheres of international and regional influence.

India became a nuclear power in 1974. India tested its nuclear capabilities in 1974 and became a full-fledged nuclear power in 1998, and evolved its policy towards the U.S. and the Soviet Union. The pariah condition the latter is put under by Western countries since the start of its aggression against Ukraine in February 2022, brought India closer to the U.S. and NATO.

Therefore, this article intends to understand India’s quest for indigenously developing military equipment and highlight its roadmap as the net exporter of advanced technologies.

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