India and US assess advancements in defence industrial collaboration

Defence Secretary Giridhar Aramane and US Under Secretary of Defense for Policy Colin Kahl co-chaired the 17th meeting of the India-US Defense Policy Group (DPG) in Washington DC on Wednesday (May 17, 2023), where they reviewed the progress made in advancing defence industrial cooperation and operationalizing the India-US Major Defence Partnership.

Important aspects such as military-to-military cooperation, implementation of foundational defence agreements, exercises and the ongoing & future cooperative activities in the Indian Ocean Region were discussed, the Ministry of Defence said.

"Considerable focus was given on the ways and means to enhance defence industrial cooperation, including technology partnership, long-term research & development and improving supply chain security," the ministry added.

The meeting also discussed promoting co-development and co-production in India including potential areas and projects where Indian and US defence companies could work together. The officials agreed to encourage both the private and government stakeholders to utilise the innovation ecosystems and promote defence start-ups.

The DPG is the highest level of formal communication between the Indian Ministry of Defence and the US Department of Defense. It thoroughly evaluates and directs all facets of bilateral defense cooperation with a policy-focused approach.

According to the official readout of the meeting provided by US Department of Defense Spokesperson Lt Col David Herndon, the two sides reaffirmed their commitment to enhancing interoperability and collaboration between the Indian and American forces so that they may collaborate across all services and domains. The readout further stated that the conversation reaffirmed the countries' long-standing commitment to strengthening their major defense partnership.

As Prime Minister Narendra Modi prepares for his upcoming visit to Washington DC, Principal Deputy Spokesperson for the US Department of State Vedant Patel had earlier emphasized the deepening partnership between the United States and India. He also emphasized the critical role Secretary Antony Blinken and the State Department would play in the upcoming state visit of Prime Minister Modi and their active role in fortifying bilateral ties.