India's military has begun talks with the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) on expanded cooperation in training, equipment and technical support across land, air, maritime and cyber domains.

The GDF said discussions opened when Chief of Defence Staff Brigadier Omar Khan and Indian High Commissioner to Guyana Chinmoy Naik met a visiting Military Training and Advisory Team (MTAT) led by Co-ordination-Perspective Planning Colonel Jaydeep Koley.

The visit builds on existing military engagement, including Brigadier Khan's November 2024 trip to India, where he met senior defence officials and toured military equipment manufacturing facilities. Training, equipment acquisition and closer collaboration were discussed.

Brigadier Khan welcomed the team and stressed the need to align bilateral cooperation with the GDF's operational requirements. Naik reaffirmed India's commitment to sustained defence engagement with Guyana and encouraged the GDF to draw on the team's expertise to determine areas for further support.

Adjutant General Colonel Lloyd Souvenir, Colonel Administration and Quartering Commander Roger Nurse, Inspector General Colonel Natasha Stanford-Francis and other senior officers also attended the opening engagement.

The talks examined the GDF's existing capabilities, operational requirements and potential areas for Indian military assistance. Commander Nurse will serve as the GDF's coordinator for the process and expressed confidence that the consultations would lay the groundwork for further collaboration.

The Indian team is scheduled to tour GDF bases and units, including the Air Corps, infantry battalions and Coast Guard facilities, to assess capabilities and identify areas where Indian support could be applied. The findings will guide future cooperation towards priority capability requirements, the GDF said, ensuring that any assistance aligns with its operational needs and its responsibility to defend Guyana.