India and the United States have taken their defence cooperation to a new level by signing a 10-year Defence Framework Agreement in Kuala Lumpur. The agreement, reached between Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, establishes a long-term strategy for expanding the US-India Major Defence Partnership.
Hegseth praised the agreement as a milestone reflecting the two democracies’ greatest defence ties to date. Rajnath Singh described the meeting as extremely constructive, emphasising that the framework will guide collaboration in technology, joint exercises, and marine security.
Singh stated that the alliance will be critical to safeguarding peace, freedom, and a rules-based order in the Indo-Pacific. He said the deal reflects the two countries’ growing strategic convergence and strengthens mutual trust.
The meetings took place on the sidelines of the ASEAN-India Defence Ministers’ Informal Meeting in Kuala Lumpur, prior to the ADMM-Plus session. Singh also spoke with his Vietnamese and Malaysian counterparts, emphasising India’s commitment to increasing regional security cooperation under the Act East Policy.
The conversation highlighted New Delhi and Washington’s common goal of promoting stability, improving intelligence sharing, and strengthening defence technology collaboration.
