Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has arrived in Washington for a four-day visit to the United States, at the invitation of US Secretary of Defence Lloyd Austin. The visit is seen as a significant step in strengthening the already robust strategic partnership between India and the US.
Singh is expected to engage in a series of high-level discussions, including a bilateral meeting with his US counterpart and a meeting with US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan.
The Ministry of Defence emphasised that the visit is occurring amid increasing momentum in India-US relations, particularly in the defence sector. The discussions are anticipated to further deepen the Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership between the two nations.
As part of his visit, Singh will also chair a high-level roundtable with the US defence industry. This meeting will focus on ongoing and future defence collaborations, potentially leading to new agreements and partnerships. Additionally, Singh is scheduled to interact with the Indian community in Washington later on Thursday evening.
India and the United States have been making strides in their defence cooperation, highlighted by the progress made during the fifth annual India-US 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue held in November 2023.
Washington has reiterated its support for India's military modernization and has committed to advancing the US-India Roadmap for Defence Industrial Cooperation.
This includes initiatives aimed at enhancing maritime domain awareness in the Indian Ocean Region and supporting India's efforts to uphold the rule of law in the Arabian Sea and surrounding waterways.
A key element of the growing defence ties is the India-US Defence Acceleration Ecosystem (INDUS-X), which promotes joint innovation and co-production of advanced defence technologies between the two countries. This ecosystem is a vital part of the broader strategic technology and defence cooperation that has been evolving between India and the US.
The collaboration extends beyond defence, with both nations engaging in regular discussions on a wide range of strategic, regional, and bilateral issues. One of the significant initiatives in this regard is the Initiative on Critical and Emerging Technologies (iCET), launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Joe Biden in January 2023.
This initiative is expected to play a crucial role in deepening the strategic partnership, reflecting the shared commitment of both countries to advance in critical technology sectors.
Follow us
