India and the United States have solidified their strategic alliance by signing a new 10-year framework agreement for defence partnership. This landmark agreement aims to deepen military cooperation, enhance technology exchange, and ensure a free and open Indo-Pacific region. The agreement was signed on Friday, October 31, 2025, during the 12th ASEAN Defence Ministers' Meeting-Plus (ADMM-Plus) in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
The "Framework for the U.S.-India Major Defence Partnership" was exchanged between Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and U.S. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth. Both leaders expressed optimism about the strengthened partnership. Singh described the agreement as a "new era" in the already strong defence relationship, emphasizing its role in guiding the entire spectrum of India-US defence cooperation. Hegseth echoed this sentiment, calling India a priority country for the U.S. in defence cooperation and affirming their commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific.
This new framework replaces the previous 10-year defence agreement signed in 2015 and incorporates the India-US Defence Industrial Cooperation Roadmap agreed upon in May 2023. It is designed to create a streamlined, long-term system for defence trade, advanced technology sharing, and the joint development of modern military systems. The agreement will encompass various areas, including defence trade, joint research, military training, and industrial cooperation, facilitating closer collaboration on security and technology.
The Ministry of Defence stated that the 2025 framework provides a "unified vision and policy direction to deepen defence cooperation" over the next ten years. It is expected to transform and expand the partnership, with both sides committed to strengthening cooperation across all key areas through regular military exercises, intelligence sharing, industrial collaboration, and strategic coordination.
Key objectives of the enhanced partnership include safeguarding a free and open Indo-Pacific region, strengthening interoperability across all domains, expanding collaboration with like-minded nations through forums like the Quad, and defeating terrorism. The framework will also enable collaboration on global challenges such as space and missile defence and preventing the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. Furthermore, it will prioritize export license approvals for weapons and support India's development as a logistics, maintenance, repair, and overhaul hub.
The agreement is viewed as a signal of growing strategic convergence between India and the U.S., highlighting their shared interests, mutual trust, and commitment to regional stability and deterrence. By enhancing coordination, information sharing, and technology cooperation, the two nations aim to ensure a secure and prosperous Indo-Pacific.
