On October 31, 2025, India and the United States formalised a new 10-year defence framework agreement, signalling a major boost in bilateral military cooperation. The pact was signed in Kuala Lumpur by India’s Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and U.S. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth on the sidelines of the ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting. 

Singh described the agreement as a “signal of our growing strategic convergence” and said it will “provide policy direction in the entire spectrum of the India-U.S. defence relationship.” Hegseth echoed those sentiments, calling the pact a “cornerstone for regional stability and deterrence” that enhances coordination, information-sharing and technological cooperation. 

Despite recent tensions over trade and tariffs between the two countries, the agreement underscores a shared commitment to a free, open and rules-based Indo-Pacific region. As both nations look ahead, this defence framework is likely to shape military strategy and technology collaboration for the next decade