U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, and India’s National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval met in New Delhi on Monday, June 5, and discussed cooperation in specific niche technologies in maritime, military, and aerospace domains to boost capabilities. The discussions included the transfer of technology to India from the U.S., co-production, and building capacities between the two nations.
During the meeting, Doval and Austin maintained the two countries’ focus on trusted sources of supply, resilient supply chains, and greater industry-to-industry partnerships.
The U.S. Secretary of Defense, also held wide-ranging talks with his Indian counterpart Rajnath Singh, India’s Minister for Defense. These discussions focused on various key aspects of U.S.-India defense ties and regional security including in the Indo-Pacific.
“I’m returning to India to meet with key leaders for discussions for strengthening our major defense partnership.” Austin also described the India-U.S. global strategic partnership as the “cornerstone” of a free and open Indo-Pacific.
Singh and Austin discussed General Electric‘s proposal to share technology with India for fighter jet engines, and New Delhi’s plan to procure 30 MQ-9B armed drones at a cost of over $3 billion from General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc, among other issues.
Last updated: December 26th, 2025
