Following the strained ties between India and the US over the tariff conflict, the two countries signed a 10-year defence framework agreement in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on Friday. After inking the deal, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh dubbed it as a “signal” of growing strategic convergence between the two nations.
Singh met with US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth during the ongoing 12th ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting – Plus (ADMM-Plus). Post the delegation-level talks, the two leaders had a one-to-one meeting on the sidelines of the summit.
According to a statement, the Ministry of Defence said that the two leaders appreciated the continuing momentum in the bilateral defence cooperation and reaffirmed their commitment to further build upon the mutually beneficial partnership across all its pillars. They reviewed the ongoing defence issues and the challenges that persist and deliberated upon the ongoing defence industry and technology collaborations.
The Secretary of War reiterated that India is a priority country for the US in defence cooperation and they were committed to working closely with India to ensure a free and open Indo-Pacific.
After the meeting, both leaders signed the ‘framework for the US-India major defence partnership’ which will usher a new era in an already strong defence partnership. The 2025 framework marks a new chapter to further transform the partnership over the next 10 years. It is intended to provide a unified vision and policy direction to deepen defence cooperation.
Later, in a post on X, Singh wrote that the framework will provide policy direction to the entire spectrum of the India-US defence relationship. “It is a signal of our growing strategic convergence and will herald a new decade of partnership. Defence will remain as the major pillar of our bilateral relations. Our partnership is critical for ensuring a free, open and rules-bound Indo-Pacific region,” the post said.
In a separate post, Hegseth stated that the framework advances the bilateral defence partnership, a cornerstone for regional stability and deterrence. “We’re enhancing our coordination, info sharing, and tech cooperation. Our defence ties have never been stronger,” he wrote on X.
India and US continue to expand and deepen defence relationship through military-to-military exercises and activities, information sharing, collaboration with like-minded regional and global partners, defence industrial, science and technology cooperation and defence coordination mechanisms.