India, US finalise roadmap for fast-tracking defence tech transfer, co-development of military platforms

India and the US on Monday concluded an ambitious roadmap for defence industrial cooperation to fast-track technology tie-ups and co-production of military platforms such as air combat and land systems, a move that comes in the wake of China’s increasingly aggressive behaviour in the Indo-Pacific region.

The new framework for cooperation was finalised during talks between Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and his visiting American counterpart Lloyd Austin, two weeks ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s state visit to Washington.

Singh and Austin also decided to initiate negotiations on a framework for the security of supply arrangement and a reciprocal defence procurement agreement, which will promote long-term supply chain stability.