In a major stride toward deepening strategic cooperation, India and the United States on Friday signed a 10-year Defence Framework Agreement, setting a new benchmark in their evolving defence partnership.
The agreement, exchanged between Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth in Kuala Lumpur, lays out a comprehensive policy roadmap for the US–India Major Defence Partnership, strengthening collaboration across technology, intelligence sharing, joint exercises, and regional security.
Describing the accord as a “historic milestone”, Hegseth said the deal marks a new phase of trust and strategic convergence between the two democracies. “Our defence ties have never been stronger,” he stated, emphasizing the shared goal of ensuring peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region.
Rajnath Singh called the meeting with his US counterpart “fruitful,” noting that the new framework will “usher in a new era” of bilateral defence cooperation. In a post on X, Singh said, “This agreement provides long-term policy direction and signals our growing strategic alignment. Defence will continue to be a major pillar of our bilateral relations.”
The meeting took place on the sidelines of the ASEAN–India Defence Ministers’ Informal Meeting in Kuala Lumpur, ahead of the ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting Plus (ADMM-Plus) scheduled for November 1.
The signing reaffirms the expanding synergy between New Delhi and Washington, focusing on regional stability, maritime security, and a rules-based Indo-Pacific order.
