India and the US on Friday signed a 10-year framework to deepen the bilateral defence relationship during a meeting between defence minister Rajnath Singh and his US counterpart, Pete Hegseth, in Malaysia’s Kuala Lumpur. The 10-year Framework for the US-India Major Defence Partnership was signed on the sidelines of the ASEAN Defence Ministers Meeting Plus.
The development comes as India is contending with an increasingly delicate balancing act between negotiating a trade deal, repairing ties with the US and maintaining its relationship with Russia. The two sides have renewed contacts in recent weeks to revive negotiations on a trade deal. The trade talks were stalled after Trump hit Indian goods with 25% reciprocal tariffs. He followed it up with a 25% penalty over India’s Russian oil purchases.
Singh said the framework will usher in a new era. “Had a fruitful meeting with my US counterpart. We signed the 10 years ‘Framework for the US-India Major Defence Partnership’. This will usher in a new era in our already strong defence partnership. This Defence Framework will provide policy direction to the entire spectrum of the India-US Defence Relationship,” Singh wrote on X.
He added that the pact is a signal of the US and India’s growing strategic convergence and will herald a new decade of partnership. “Defence will remain the major pillar of our bilateral relations. Our partnership is critical for ensuring a free, open, and rules-bound Indo-Pacific region.”
{{/usCountry}}He added that the pact is a signal of the US and India’s growing strategic convergence and will herald a new decade of partnership. “Defence will remain the major pillar of our bilateral relations. Our partnership is critical for ensuring a free, open, and rules-bound Indo-Pacific region.”
{{/usCountry}}Both India and the US stand for a rule-based international order for peace, prosperity, and stability in the Indo-Pacific. China is seeking to boost its influence in the region by setting up military bases, pushing countries to advance its maritime claims, and forcing strategic concessions from vulnerable states.
Last year, India and the US signed an agreement to ensure the mutual supply of defence goods and services to enable the acquisition of the industrial resources they need from one another to resolve unanticipated supply chain disruptions and meet national security needs.
Hegseth said the India-US defense ties have never been stronger. “I just met with @rajnathsingh to sign a 10-year US-India Defense Framework. This advances our defense partnership, a cornerstone for regional stability and deterrence. We’re enhancing our coordination, info sharing, and tech cooperation,” Hegseth wrote on X.