US and India Sign Historic 10-Year Defense Framework Agreement to Strengthen Strategic Partnership

US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth stated that defense ties between the United States and India "have never been stronger."

Kuala Lumpur:

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth exchanged an agreement on the framework for the US-India Major Defence Partnership in Kuala Lumpur on Friday, marking a significant milestone in strengthening bilateral defense cooperation between the two nations.

The United States signed a 10-year Defence Framework Agreement with India, highlighting the growing strategic alignment between the two countries. Announcing this development, US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth emphasized that the defense relationship between the two nations has reached unprecedented strength.

Hegseth shared on X that he met with Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh to sign the new framework. The head of the Department of War, previously known as the Department of Defence, explained that this agreement would advance the India-US defense partnership, describing it as a "cornerstone for regional stability and deterrence."

I just met with @rajnathsingh to sign a 10-year U.S.-India Defense Framework.This advances our defense partnership, a cornerstone for regional stability and deterrence.We're enhancing our coordination, info sharing, and tech cooperation. Our defense ties have never been…

— Secretary of War Pete Hegseth (@SecWar) October 31, 2025

He added, "We're enhancing our coordination, info sharing, and tech cooperation. Our defense ties have never been stronger."

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh also confirmed the signing of the 10-year agreement, describing his meeting with Hegseth as "fruitful."

In his X post, Singh stated, "Had a fruitful meeting with my US counterpart @PeterHegsethSec in Kuala Lumpur. We signed the 10 years 'Framework for the US-India Major Defence Partnership'. This will usher in a new era in our already strong defence partnership."

Singh further explained that the Defence Framework "will provide policy direction to the entire spectrum of the India-US Defence Relationship."

"It is a signal of our growing strategic convergence and will herald a new decade of partnership," he noted, adding that defense "will remain as the major pillar of our bilateral relations" and that the partnership is "critical for ensuring a free, open and rules-bound Indo-Pacific region."

The meeting between Rajnath Singh and Pete Hegseth occurred on the sidelines of the ASEAN-India Defence Ministers' Informal Meeting in Kuala Lumpur. This informal meeting was convened before the ASEAN Defence Ministers' Meeting Plus (ADMM Plus), scheduled for November 1.

Prior to his visit, Rajnath Singh had mentioned that the ASEAN-India meetings in Kuala Lumpur "aim to further strengthen defence and security cooperation among ASEAN member states & India and advance the 'Act East Policy'."

This high-level engagement between the two leaders demonstrated the continuing momentum in India-US defense cooperation, reaffirming their shared commitment to regional stability and strategic collaboration in the Indo-Pacific region.

(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)