Defence Minister Rajnath Singh held a telephonic conversation with his newly appointed US counterpart, Pete Hegseth, on Thursday to review bilateral defence relations and discuss a long-term framework for defence cooperation, official sources said.
A Defence Ministry spokesperson stated, “the two ministers reviewed the extensive India-US defence cooperation activities spanning multiple domains, including land, air, maritime, and space.”
Discussions ahead of PM Modi’s US visit
High-level talks have come at a time when Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to visit Washington on February 13 for a summit meeting with US President Donald Trump. The key bilateral issues likely to be addressed during the summit meeting include defense and strategic partnerships.
10-Year defence cooperation framework on the agenda
In their discussion, Singh and Hegseth agreed to work together in developing a comprehensive framework for India-US defence cooperation for the period 2025-2035. The focus areas include:
- Technology cooperation and integration of defence industrial supply chains
- Enhanced interoperability through joint military exercises and logistics coordination
- Intelligence and information sharing
- Strengthening defence innovation collaboration between governments, startups, businesses, and academic institutions
India-US to deepen strategic ties
Following the conversation, Rajnath Singh took to social media, stating, “We reviewed the ongoing defence cooperation and explored ways to expand and deepen the India-US bilateral defence relationship. We also agreed to chart out an ambitious agenda covering operational, intelligence, logistics, and defence-industrial cooperation. Looking forward to working closely with Secretary Hegseth.”
The latest engagement signals a continued push for stronger India-US defence ties, with both nations emphasising long-term strategic collaboration.
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