Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh and US Secretary of War Mr. Pete Hegseth met on October 31, 2025, on the sidelines of the 12th ASEAN Defence Ministers' Meeting Plus (ADMM-Plus) in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
They signed a 10-year framework for US-India major defence partnership which will provide policy direction and deepen defence cooperation. This framework will usher a new era in the defence partnership between the two countries, focusing on mutual benefits, defence industry and technology collaborations, and addressing geopolitical uncertainties. It's intended to provide a unified vision and policy direction to deepen defence cooperation.
The meeting also reaffirmed the commitment of both countries to further expand and deepen the defence relationship through military-to-military exercises and activities, information sharing, collaboration with like-minded regional and global partners, defence industrial, science and technology cooperation, and defence coordination mechanisms. India is a priority country for US in defence cooperation. They are committed to working closely with India to ensure a free and open Indo-Pacific.
The meeting was posted on PIB Delhi on October 31, 2025, at 3:53 PM. Release ID is 2184622 and visitor counter is 830.
Key Entities Referenced
US-India major defence partnership: A 10-year framework for US-India defense cooperation
Ministry of Defence: Indian governmental body overseeing defense matters
Kuala Lumpur: Location of the 12th ASEAN Defence Ministers' Meeting - Plus (ADMM-Plus) where the framework was discussed
Ministry of Defence
Raksha Mantri & US Secretary of War meet on
the margins of 12th ADMM-Plus in Kuala
Lumpur
Ink 10-year framework for US-India major defence
partnership
Defence framework will provide policy direction to the
entire spectrum of the India-US defence relationship &
herald a new decade of partnership: Shri Rajnath Singh
“Defence will remain as the major pillar of India-US
relations”
India is a priority country for US in defence cooperation,
we’re committed to work closely with India to ensure a free
& open Indo-Pacific: Mr Pete Hegseth
Posted On: 31 OCT 2025 3:53PM by PIB Delhi
Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh met with US Secretary of War Mr Pete Hegseth on the sidelines of
12th ASEAN Defence 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 defence cooperation and
reaffirmed their commitment to further build upon the mutually beneficial partnership across all its
pillars. They reviewed the ongoing defence issues & the challenges that persist and deliberated upon
the ongoing defence 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 defence cooperation and
they were committed to work closely with India to ensure a free and open Indo-Pacific.
After the meeting, both leaders signed the ‘framework for the US-India major defence partnership’
which will usher a new era in an already strong defence 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 defence 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 defence relationship. “It is a signal of our growing
strategic convergence and will herald a new decade of partnership. Defence 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.Rajnath Singh
@rajnathsingh·Follow
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 Partnershipʼ.
This will usher in a new era in our already strong defence
partnership.
This Defence Framework will provide policy Show more
Last edited11:18 AM · Oct 31, 2025
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In a post, Mr Pete Hegseth stated that the framework advances the bilateral defence 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.Secretary of War Pete Hegseth
@SecWar·Follow
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 Show more
10:10 AM · Oct 31, 2025
11.2K Reply Copy link
Read 1.3K replies
India and US continue to expand and deepen defence relationship through military-to-military
exercises and activities, information sharing, collaboration with like-minded regional and global
partners, defence industrial, science and technology cooperation and defence coordination
mechanisms.
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VK/SR/Savvy
(Release ID: 2184622) Visitor Counter : 830
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