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NZ appoints first-ever resident Defence Adviser to India
Andy Dowling will soon assume his new role at the New Zealand High Commission in New Delhi later this month.
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Rwittika Chakraborty
- Wed, 21, Jan 2026
- 04:40 EST
- 20
Commodore Andy Dowling / New Zealand Defence Force: NZDF (nzdf.mil.nz/nzdf/)
New Zealand has appointed Commodore Andy Dowling as its first resident Defence Adviser to India, a move considered significant by officials, reflecting a strategic shift in its Indo-Pacific engagement, and marking an elevated phase in defence and security cooperation between the two nations.
Dowling will soon assume his new role at the New Zealand High Commission in New Delhi later this month, relocating from Australia, where he currently serves as Defence Adviser.
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Even though New Zealand has previously accredited Defence Advisers to India, they were based in other countries, making Dowling’s appointment as a full-time resident Defence Adviser the first to serve full-time and reside in New Delhi.
The appointment follows a year of heightened defence and diplomatic activity between the two nations, including Prime Minister Christopher Luxon’s visit to India in March. That visit resulted in the signing of an India–New Zealand Memorandum of Understanding on Defence Cooperation, designed to formalise and expand regular defence engagement.
Dowling mentioned that defence and security considerations were central to New Zealand’s engagement with India.
He also noted that India’s strategic outlook has evolved over the past decade, moving from primarily domestic concerns toward a more outward-looking posture focused on regional engagement.
Dowling said that the Indian Navy in particular has become increasingly active beyond the Indian Ocean, conducting joint exercises, port visits and deployments that now regularly include Australia and New Zealand.
As a resident Defence Adviser in India, Dowling explained that he would help ensure the relationship remains sustainable and strategic rather than episodic, adding that a permanent presence would allow for consistent dialogue and the identification of practical areas for cooperation.
India, now the world’s third-largest economy, maintains one of the globe’s largest military forces, including a 1.3 million-strong army and a navy of about 250 vessels. Commodore Dowling said India held New Zealand in high regard, viewing it as a trusted and neutral partner.
He highlighted the operational similarities between the two defence forces, including shared platforms such as P-8 maritime patrol aircraft, C-130J Hercules transport aircraft and naval aviation systems, as well as comparable training structures.
Dowling’s posting in New Delhi will run for three years.
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