Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh met with US Secretary of War Mr Pete Hegseth on the sidelines of the 12th ASEAN Defense Ministers’ Meeting - Plus (ADMM-Plus) in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on October 31, 2025. The meeting was constructive, and the delegation-level talks were followed by a one-to-one meeting.
The two leaders appreciated the continuing momentum in the bilateral defense cooperation and reaffirmed their commitment to further build upon the mutually beneficial partnership across all its pillars. They reviewed the ongoing defense issues & the challenges that persist and deliberated upon the ongoing defense industry and technology collaborations. At a time of increasing geopolitical uncertainties, both leaders agreed to work together to address challenges.
The Secretary of War reiterated that India is a priority country for the US in defense cooperation, and they were committed to working closely with India to ensure a free and open Indo-Pacific.
After the meeting, both leaders signed the ‘framework for the US-India major defense partnership’, which will usher in a new era in an already strong defense partnership. The 2025 framework marks a new chapter to further transform the partnership over the next 10 years. It is intended to provide a unified vision and policy direction to deepen defense cooperation.
Through a post on X, Raksha Mantri exuded confidence that the framework will provide policy direction to the entire spectrum of the India-US defense relationship. “It is a signal of our growing strategic convergence and will herald a new decade of partnership. Defense will remain as the major pillar of our bilateral relations. Our partnership is critical for ensuring a free, open, and rules-bound Indo-Pacific region,” he wrote.
In a post, Mr Pete Hegseth stated that the framework advances the bilateral 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 stronger,” he wrote.
India and the US continue to expand and deepen defense relationship through military-to-military exercises and activities, information sharing, collaboration with like-minded regional and global partners, defense industrial, science and technology cooperation, and defense coordination mechanisms.
