USIBC lauds the outcome of talks between US and India as the visit reflects the accelerating convergence between the world’s oldest and largest democracies
Our Bureau
New Delhi
US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin arrived in Delhi this week from Singapore. This was Austin’s second visit to India since March 2021. Terming the US-India partnership as the “cornerstone” of a free and open Indo-Pacific, US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin said this week that both countries have a unique role in preserving the rules-based international order.
During his meetings with National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and Defense Minister Rajnath Singh, the US Secretary exchanged perspectives on a range of regional security issues. The two countries decided to launch negotiations for two crucial agreements related to the Security of Supply Arrangement and a Reciprocal Defense Procurement in an effort to establish stable supply chains of arms and equipment.
According to Pentagon, Lloyd Austin and Rajnath Singh also pledged to review regulatory hurdles impeding closer industry-to-industry cooperation and to initiate negotiations on these agreements.
Addressing a press conference after holding wide-ranging talks with Defense Minister Rajnath Singh, Austin said, “I had productive discussions today with Defense Minister Singh and National Security Advisor Doval. As the world’s two largest democracies, India and the United States play a unique role in preserving the rules-based international order that keeps us all secure.”
He further said, “Since I last visited India in 2021, our global and strategic partnership has continued to rapidly grow. Today, the US -India partnership is a cornerstone of a free and open Indo-Pacific, and our deepening bonds show how technological innovation and growing military cooperation between two great powers can be a force for global good.”
The US Defense Secretary said that India and US have taken new measures to strengthen the defense partnership between two countries. He spoke about the establishment of a new roadmap for defense industrial cooperation between India and the US, which will fast-track high priority co-development and co-production projects.
US Defense Secretary said that Rajnath Singh and he also spoke about Indus X that aims to enable partnerships between the US and India in defense innovation sectors.
“On this visit, I am pleased that we have taken new steps to strengthen our defense partnership. We established an ambitious new roadmap for defense industrial cooperation, which will fast track high priority co-development and co-production projects and build closer ties between our defense industries,” Austin said.
“We look forward to advancing some of those projects during the upcoming visit between our leaders later this month. We also discussed an important new initiative, Indus X, that aims to jump start partnerships between the US and Indian defense innovation sectors and we’re looking forward to the formal launch of Indus X in conjunction with Prime Minister Modi’s state visit to Washington,” he said.
US-India Business Council (USIBC) has lauded the outcome of talks between US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and Defense Minister Rajnath Singh and said the US leader’s visit reflects the accelerating convergence between the world’s oldest and largest democracies.
In a statement, USIBC President Atul Keshap said the two sides had concluded a roadmap for US-India Defense Industrial Cooperation. “USIBC applauds both governments for establishing a new roadmap for US-India defense industrial cooperation. Our USIBC members include the top defense firms in the world, producing sophisticated defense platforms that can enhance Indian and American capabilities in border security, maritime domain awareness, space situational awareness, and more. Such strength helps ensure effective deterrence in an unsettled geostrategic environment,” Keshap said.
“Secretary Austin’s visit reflects the accelerating convergence between the world’s oldest and largest democracies. We are confident that continued progress on tech release under iCET and the startup linkages created by the INDUS X defense innovation bridge will empower industry to further facilitate India’s role as a net security provider in the Indo-Pacific region,” he added.
He said the discussions between the two sides reinforced the increasing importance the US government is placing on India as a major commercial and defense partner and talks continued on tech releasability issues between the two sides.
He said that the USIBC welcomes the Security of Supply Chain Agreement and a reciprocal defense procurement agreement and stressed that these were major calls from industry during the initial public-private consultations under the Initiative on Critical and Emerging Technologies (iCET) launched at the US Chamber of Commerce in January.
“These are vital steps in the development of our high-trust ecosystem that will enable the private sector to be even more ambitious,” he said. Keshap said USIBC will host the inaugural Indus X conference on June 20, 21 in Washington.
