Kuala Lumpur (TDI): The United States and India have entered into a 10-year defense cooperation framework, marking what officials describe as a significant milestone in their strategic partnership.
US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced the agreement on Friday, calling it a major step toward enhancing regional security and collaboration between Washington and New Delhi. The pact, he said, will deepen coordination in defense technology, information sharing, and strategic operations.
“Our defense partnership has reached an unprecedented level,” Hegseth wrote on X, following his meeting with Indian Defense Minister Rajnath Singh.
According to the Hindustan Times, the two leaders met on the sidelines of the ASEAN Defense Ministers’ Meeting-Plus in Kuala Lumpur. After signing the pact, Hegseth expressed gratitude to Singh for India’s continued cooperation, describing the partnership as “one of the most consequential relationships in the world.”
“Our strategic alignment is based on mutual trust and a shared vision for a secure, prosperous Indo-Pacific,” he said, noting that the new framework sets an “ambitious roadmap” for future collaboration between both militaries.
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He emphasized that the deal reflects America’s long-term commitment to joint security goals and the evolving defense relationship between the two nations.
The development comes shortly after US Secretary of State Marco Rubio met with Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar in Malaysia, the highest-level dialogue since Washington imposed sanctions last week on Russian oil firms, a major source of India’s energy imports.
Jaishankar, sharing a photo of their meeting on social media, said he “valued the discussion on bilateral relations as well as regional and global matters.”
Tensions between the two countries had spiked in August after US President Donald Trump raised tariffs on Indian goods to 50 percent, accusing New Delhi of indirectly supporting Moscow’s war in Ukraine by purchasing discounted Russian crude.
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Although Trump later spoke to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and claimed India had agreed to reduce oil imports from Russia, New Delhi has not publicly confirmed any such commitment.
Adding to the strain, the Trump administration last month introduced a $100,000 “one-time” fee on H-1B skilled worker visas, a category in which Indian nationals form the majority. Indian officials criticized the move, warning it could have serious humanitarian consequences and disrupt families dependent on these visas.
