THE JHARKHAND STORY DESK
Kuala Lumpur, Oct 31: In a major stride toward bolstering bilateral defence cooperation, India and the United States have inked a 10-year Framework for the US-India Major Defence Partnership.
The agreement, exchanged between Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth in Kuala Lumpur, sets the stage for a new phase of strategic alignment between the two nations.
The pact, signed on the sidelines of the ASEAN-India Defence Ministers’ Informal Meeting, outlines a long-term roadmap to enhance coordination, intelligence sharing, and advanced technology cooperation. Both sides described it as a cornerstone for ensuring regional stability and maintaining a free and rules-based Indo-Pacific.
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Announcing the development on X, Hegseth remarked that the US-India defence ties “have never been stronger,” adding that the new framework would significantly strengthen collaboration in emerging defence domains.
The head of the Department of War—formerly the Department of Defence—emphasized that the pact will advance shared strategic interests and deterrence capabilities in the region.
Rajnath Singh, in his own post, termed the meeting with Hegseth as “fruitful,” noting that the framework provides policy direction to the entire range of defence engagements between the two democracies.
He asserted that the agreement marks “a new era” in bilateral defence cooperation and reflects the deepening strategic convergence between New Delhi and Washington.
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Singh further highlighted that defence will continue to serve as a “major pillar” of India-US relations, expressing confidence that the partnership will play a crucial role in safeguarding peace and security across the Indo-Pacific region.