India, U.S. sign pact to enhance defence ties
BILATERAL – INDIA-USA
1 NOVEMBER 2025
- India and the United States have unveiled a 10-year defence framework, marking a new phase in their strategic cooperation aimed at “advancing peace, security, and stability in the Indo-Pacific”.
- The “Framework for the U.S.-India Major Defence Partnership” was signed by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and U.S. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth on the sidelines of the 12th ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting-Plus (ADMM-Plus) in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
- The development came amid strained ties due to Washington’s slapping of 50% tariffs on Indian goods.
- Building on the 2013 Joint Principles for Defence Cooperation and the 2016 recognition of India as a Major Defence Partner (MDP), the new framework charts a 10-year road map to deepen collaboration across all defence domains — land, maritime, air, space, and cyberspace.
- The framework focuses on maintaining a free and open Indo-Pacific, enhancing interoperability, and strengthening maritime security to ensure the free flow of commerce.
- It also seeks to expand cooperation with like-minded partners through mechanisms such as the Quad, prevent proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, and bolster defence industrial innovation through advanced technology partnerships, the official said.
- Both sides had already launched the COMPACT initiative (Catalyzing Opportunities for Military Partnership, Accelerated Commerce and Technology) to drive transformative changes in key areas of defence cooperation.
- The new framework underscores a shared intent to respond jointly to common security threats, deter conflict, and uphold the sovereignty and autonomy of regional partners, while laying the foundation for collective peace and prosperity in the region.
