India and the United States on Friday signed a 10-year defense cooperation roadmap, marking a major step in their strategic partnership despite recent trade frictions.
The “Framework for the U.S.-India Major Defense Partnership” was signed by Defense Minister Rajnath Singh and U.S. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth during the ASEAN Defense Ministers’ Meeting-Plus in Kuala Lumpur. The pact comes weeks after Washington imposed 50% tariffs on Indian exports.
Both sides reaffirmed their commitment to expand cooperation in defense technology, intelligence sharing, and regional security. Singh hailed the deal as “a signal of our growing strategic convergence” and “a new decade of partnership,” while Hegseth called India “a cornerstone for regional stability and deterrence.”
The framework will guide bilateral defense collaboration through joint exercises, technology exchanges, and multilateral coordination across the Indo-Pacific.
Sources: Sec. of War on X / The Hindu
