Rajnath holds bilateral talks with ministers of Armenia, Malawi, Madagascar

Rajnath Singh met Suren Papikyan, MoD Armenia; Monica Chang' Anamuno, MoD Malawi; and Lieutenant General Sahivelo Lala Monja Delphin, Minister of Armed Forces of Madagascar

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh held bilateral meetings with the Ministers of Armenia, Malawi, and Madagascar on the sidelines of Aero India 2025 in Bengaluru on Tuesday.

The bilateral meetings took place with Suren Papikyan, Minister of Defence of Armenia; Monica Chang' Anamuno, Minister of Defence of Malawi; and Lieutenant General Sahivelo Lala Monja Delphin, Minister of Armed Forces of Madagascar.

"Held productive discussions with Madagascar's Minister of Armed Forces Lt Gen Sahivelo Lala Monja Delphin in Bengaluru," posted Rajnath Singh on X.

In another post, he wrote, "Had an excellent meeting with the Defence Minister of Malawi Ms. Monica Chang' Anamuno in Bengaluru. We agreed to expedite signing of Memorandum of Understanding on Defence Cooperation to strengthen strategic interests."

"Had a productive meeting with the Defence Minister of Armenia Suren Papikyan, on the sidelines of AERO-India 2025.Reviewed the significant progress made in our bilateral defence ties and we both agreed to further deepen collaboration," another post from Rajnath Singh read.

Earlier in the day, while speaking at Global Investors Meet (GIM) 2025, Rajnath Singh asserted that Bengaluru will give India its first Foundational AI Model. Defence minister Singh said India's technological capital Bengaluru not only creates the future of India, but also shapes it, driving innovation and progress at national and global scale. Being home to Hindustan Aeronautics Limited and a thriving aerospace industry, Bengaluru plays a pivotal role in India's ascent to the skies, he said.

"India is in the era of Cooperative Federalism, where we work with the true spirit of Team India. Best example is the GST framework, in which representatives from both the Central and State Governments come together, to collectively decide tax rates through, consensus. This a testament, to how the Central and State Governments are collaborating, to shape the country's economy," said Rajnath Singh.

"One of the biggest reasons behind the growing culture of Cooperative Federalism in India today, is the leadership experience of Prime Minister, who himself served as the Chief Minister of Gujarat for many years. I, too, have had the honour of serving as the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh," he said.

Singh also spoke at the Defence Ministers' conclave, "BRIDGE--Building Resilience through International Defence and Global Engagement," organised at Hotel Taj West End in Bengaluru.

"The increasing number of conflicts is making our world a more unpredictable place. New power plays, new methods and new means of weaponization, increased role of non-state actors and disruptive technologies have made the world order more fragile," he said.

Rajnath Singh also spoke on the challenges faced by India due to terrorism, cybercrime, humanitarian crises and climate-induced disasters transcend borders.

The Defence Minister further highlighted that India has long championed a vision of peace, security, and development that is inclusive and collaborative.