Tawqeer Hussain | New Delhi
India and the United States have successfully concluded a roadmap for Defence Industrial Cooperation, signifying a significant step forward in technological collaboration and co-production between the two nations.
This collaboration encompasses various sectors including air combat, land mobility systems, intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance, munitions, as well as the undersea domain. The aim is to revolutionize the cooperation between the U.S. and Indian defence sectors, facilitating India’s access to cutting-edge technologies and supporting its defence modernization plans.
Following a meeting between India’s Defense Minister Rajnath Singh and the visiting U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin in New Delhi, the United States Department of Defence issued a statement outlining the key outcomes.
“This initiative aims to change the paradigm for cooperation between U.S. and Indian defence sectors, including a set of specific proposals that could provide India access to cutting-edge technologies and support India’s defence modernization plans.,” reads the statement.
The statement highlights the commitment of both parties to address regulatory obstacles that hinder closer industry-to-industry cooperation. Additionally, discussions were initiated on establishing a Security of Supply Arrangement and a Reciprocal Defense Procurement agreement, with the intention of ensuring long-term stability in the supply chain.
The meeting also emphasized the growing importance of defence innovation and collaboration in emerging domains like space, cyberspace, and artificial intelligence. Recognizing the significance of advancing cutting-edge technology cooperation, Secretary Austin and Minister Singh welcomed the establishment of the India-U.S. Defence Acceleration Ecosystem (INDUS-X).
“This new initiative, set to be launched on June 21 by the U.S.-India Business Council, aims to foster innovative partnerships among American and Indian companies, investors, start-up accelerators, and academic research institutions, complementing the existing government-to-government collaboration,” the statement adds
The roadmap for Defence Industrial Cooperation between India and the United States signifies a promising future for bilateral defense collaboration, with a focus on technology transfer, co-production, and innovation.
Secretary of Defence Lloyd J. Austin III traveled to India, June 4-5, to reinforce the major defence partnership, and advance cooperation in critical domains ahead of Prime Minister Modi’s official state visit to Washington in June. Besides meeting with the Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, US Secretary also met with National Security Advisor Ajit Doval.
