India, US sign 10-year pact to deepen bilateral defence ties

India and the US on Friday signed a 10-year framework to deepen the bilateral defence relationship, during a meeting between defence minister Rajnath Singh and his US counterpart Pete Hegseth in Kuala Lumpur.

- Rahul Singh

The 10-year Framework for the US-India Major Defence Partnership was signed on the sidelines of ASEAN Defence Ministers Meeting Plus.

The development comes as India is contending with an increasingly delicate balancing act between negotiating a trade deal and repairing ties with the US and maintaining its relationship with Russia. India and the US have renewed contacts in recent weeks to revive negotiations on a trade deal. The trade talks were stalled after Trump hit Indian goods with 25% reciprocal tariffs. He followed it up with a 25% penalty over India’s Russian oil purchases.

The 2025 framework marks a new chapter to further transform the partnership over the next 10 years, the defence ministry said. “It is intended to provide a unified vision and policy direction to deepen defence cooperation.”