Defence Minister Rajnath Singh arrived in Washington yesterday evening on a four-day visit to the United States at the invitation of the US Secretary of Defence Lloyd Austin. During the visit, Mr Singh will hold a bilateral meeting with his US counterpart and also meet the US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan. The Defence Minister will also chair a high-level round table meeting with the US defence industry on the ongoing and future defence collaborations.

India and the United States have hailed progress on bilateral defence initiatives following the fifth annual India-US 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue in November 2023. Washington has committed support for India’s military modernization, initiatives to drive forward the US-India Roadmap for Defence Industrial Cooperation, strengthening maritime domain awareness in the Indian Ocean Region, and India’s support for the rule of law in the Arabian Sea and adjacent waterways.

New Delhi and Washington have had regular discussions and high-level visits on a range of strategic, regional, and bilateral issues, including the Initiative on Critical and Emerging Technologies (iCET). Both countries have acknowledged that the iCET, launched by Prime Minister  Narendra Modi and US President Joe Biden in January 2023, will play a defining role in deepening the strategic partnership between the two countries.