Chief of Defence Staff General NS Raja Subramani visited two important military training institutions of the Tanzania People’s Defence Force (TPDF) in Arusha on 12 November 2026, as part of his ongoing visit to Tanzania. The engagements covered India’s assistance to Tanzanian military institutions and opportunities for continued cooperation in training.
General Raja Subramani visited the TPDF’s Command and Staff College, where he was received by a guard of honour. The Indian High Commission in Tanzania said the CDS met Major General SJ Mnkande, Commandant of the Command and Staff College, and discussed assistance for the smooth implementation of various projects.
“General NS Raja Subramani, PVSM, AVSM, SM, VSM, Chief of Defence Staff visited the Command and Staff College at Arusha. CDS was received on arrival by a Guard of Honour.”
The Indian mission said General Raja Subramani also inaugurated a modern gymnasium, eight syndicate rooms and a sand model room built with assistance from the Government of India. These facilities are located at the Command and Staff College and form part of the institutional support discussed during the visit.
Focus on military education
The visit also included the Infantry School of the TPDF in Arusha. General Raja Subramani met Brigadier General NW Mwangosi, Commandant of the Infantry School, and exchanged views on training cooperation. The Indian High Commission said the CDS was shown various facilities at the institution.
The engagements place military education and professional training at the centre of India–Tanzania defence cooperation. The discussions were not described as an operational agreement or an equipment deal. Instead, the publicly stated focus was on assistance to training institutions, infrastructure projects and continued cooperation between the two countries’ armed forces.
- General NS Raja Subramani visited the TPDF Command and Staff College and Infantry School in Arusha.
- India and Tanzania discussed continued assistance and cooperation in military training.
- Indian Government assistance supported new facilities at the Command and Staff College, including eight syndicate rooms and a sand model room.
Defence diplomacy in the Indian Ocean region
The Indian High Commission’s public communication described the visit in the context of India–Tanzania friendship, bilateral ties, strategic partnership and maritime security. Tanzania’s position on the eastern side of Africa gives the relationship a place within India’s wider engagement with countries around the Indian Ocean region, although the announcements from the visit focused specifically on military institutions and training cooperation.
For India’s armed forces, such engagements provide a channel for interaction between senior military leadership and foreign professional-training establishments. In Arusha, the CDS’s meetings involved the commandants of both institutions and highlighted India’s role in supporting selected facilities at the Tanzanian Command and Staff College. The visit therefore combined senior-level defence diplomacy with direct engagement on military education and institutional development.
