Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh held discussions with a bipartisan US Congressional delegation led by Representative Brian Mast on September 28, focusing on strengthening the India-US defence partnership and expanding cooperation in defence industry and technology.The meeting comes as India and the United States continue to deepen military, industrial and strategic cooperation under their broader Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership.Key HighlightsDefence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh met a bipartisan US Congressional delegation.The delegation was led by Representative Brian Mast.Discussions focused on India-US defence cooperation.Defence industry and technology cooperation were key areas of discussion.The two sides also discussed strengthening the broader strategic partnership.India and the US have continued military cooperation through exercises and institutional dialogues.Defence Secretary Meets US Congressional DelegationRajesh Kumar Singh held talks with the US Congressional delegation led by Brian Mast, with discussions centred on advancing defence industrial and technological cooperation between India and the United States.The meeting focused on the India-US Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership and ways to further strengthen defence ties. Defence cooperation between the two countries includes military exercises, defence procurement, technology cooperation and institutionalised strategic dialogues.The latest engagement is part of a series of high-level interactions between Indian officials and US lawmakers and defence representatives.Focus on Defence Industry and TechnologyA major focus of the meeting was expanding cooperation in defence industry and technology.India and the US have increasingly explored opportunities for greater defence manufacturing, technology sharing and industrial collaboration. The two countries have also been working to strengthen interoperability through military exercises and professional exchanges.The broader defence relationship includes cooperation across military-to-military engagements, defence procurement, science and technology and information-sharing mechanisms.India-US Defence PartnershipThe latest meeting comes amid several ongoing defence engagements between the two countries.The US and Indian militaries recently conducted Exercise Yudh Abhyas 2026, involving around 600 personnel from each side. The exercise included coordinated drills, combined-arms operations, technology integration and exchanges involving drones, autonomous systems and multi-domain warfare.India and the US have also held Army-to-Army Staff Talks, with the 29th edition taking place in Hawaii earlier this year. The talks covered interoperability, professional exchanges and military collaboration in support of shared security interests.Broader Strategic CooperationDefence cooperation is one part of the wider India-US relationship, which also covers strategic technology, energy security, trade and regional security.The meeting with the Congressional delegation comes shortly after Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri held discussions with the same bipartisan delegation in New Delhi. Those talks covered the future trajectory of India-US relations, the recently enacted Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act, energy security, counter-terrorism and freedom of navigation.The separate discussions highlight the range of issues currently being addressed between New Delhi and Washington.What Happens Next?India and the US are expected to continue discussions on defence manufacturing, technology cooperation, military interoperability and strategic security issues.The engagement with US lawmakers also provides another channel for discussions on the broader India-US defence partnership, alongside government-to-government and military-to-military mechanisms.The latest meeting therefore adds to the ongoing series of defence and strategic engagements between India and the United States as both countries work to expand cooperation across defence, technology and regional security.
