Washington, D.C., July 3 (ANI): India and the United States have agreed to finalize and sign a new 10-year Defence Framework Agreement before the end of 2025, U.S. Senior Defence Spokesperson Colonel Chris Devine said Wednesday.
According to a Pentagon statement, the agreement was discussed during a phone call Tuesday between U.S. Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth and Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh. Hegseth underscored the priority Washington places on India as a key defence partner in South Asia.
The two leaders reviewed progress toward the defence objectives outlined in the February 2025 joint statement issued by President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
“On July 1, Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth spoke with India’s Minister of Defence Rajnath Singh. Secretary Hegseth emphasized the priority the United States places on India as its key defence partner in South Asia. Secretary Hegseth and Minister Singh reviewed the considerable progress both countries have made toward achieving the defence goals set out in the February 2025 joint statement by President Trump and Prime Minister Modi,” the Pentagon said.
The statement noted that the two officials also discussed pending major U.S. defence sales to India and the importance of strengthening defence industrial cooperation.
Following the call, India’s Ministry of Defence said in its statement that Singh and Hegseth discussed a wide range of issues, including long-term defence cooperation, military training and exchanges, and expanding industry collaboration. Both sides agreed to build on the momentum of their partnership across key areas such as interoperability, integration of defence industrial supply chains, logistics sharing, joint military exercises, and cooperation with like-minded partners.
In a post on X, Singh wrote: “Glad to speak with the U.S. Secretary of Defense Mr. Pete Hegseth today. Excellent discussion to review the ongoing and new initiatives to further deepen India-U.S. defence partnership and strengthen cooperation in capacity building. Conveyed my deep appreciation for the unwavering support extended by the U.S. to India in its fight against terrorism. Looking forward to meet him at an early date.”
The new framework, once signed, will guide defence cooperation between the two countries over the next decade, building on their growing strategic alignment in the Indo-Pacific and beyond.
About The Author
