Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth on Friday exchanged a landmark agreement in Kuala Lumpur to formalise the framework for the US-India Major Defence Partnership, signalling a major boost to strategic and military ties between New Delhi and Washington.
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… pic.twitter.com/hPmkZdMDv2
— Secretary of War Pete Hegseth (@SecWar) October 31, 2025
The agreement — a 10-year Defence Framework — marks a significant step in deepening cooperation in defence technology, intelligence sharing and strategic coordination. Announcing the pact, Hegseth said the two sides’ “defence ties have never been stronger.”
“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,” Hegseth posted on X, adding that the countries are “enhancing our coordination, info sharing, and tech cooperation.”
He also described the deal as critical to advancing peace and deterrence in the region, noting that the agreement reflects the Department of War’s strengthened priorities. The Pentagon was historically known as the Department of War before being renamed.
Had a fruitful meeting with my US counterpart @SecWar Peter Hegseth 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.
This Defence Framework will provide policy… pic.twitter.com/IEP6Udg9Iw
— Rajnath Singh (@rajnathsingh) October 31, 2025
Rajnath Singh confirmed the pact in a post on X, calling his meeting with Hegseth “fruitful.”
“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 wrote.
“This Defence Framework will provide policy direction to the entire spectrum of the India-US Defence Relationship.”
He added that the agreement showcases “growing strategic convergence” between the two nations and will define the next decade of cooperation, emphasising that defence remains a “major pillar” of bilateral ties and is “critical for ensuring a free, open and rules-bound Indo-Pacific region.”
The two leaders met on the sidelines of the ASEAN-India Defence Ministers’ Informal Meeting in Kuala Lumpur, ahead of the ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting-Plus (ADMM-Plus) on November 1. Before departing for Malaysia, Singh had said the ASEAN-India engagements would “further strengthen defence and security cooperation” and advance India’s Act East Policy.
The development underscores the accelerating trajectory of defence ties between India and the US amid shared strategic interests in the Indo-Pacific
