Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III co-chaired the fifth U.S.-India 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue alongside Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Minister of Defense Rajnath Singh, and Minister of External Affairs Dr. S. Jaishankar, today in New Delhi. Following the 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue, the Secretary held bilateral meetings with Minister Singh, Minister Jaishankar, and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
During the 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue, the four leaders discussed a broad range of security issues spanning the Indo-Pacific region, Europe, and the Middle East.
Building on the momentum in the bilateral relationship, the four leaders agreed to continue advancing all elements of the Major Defense Partnership.
During his meeting with Minister Singh, the Secretary exchanged perspectives on a range of regional security issues and committed to collaborating closely with India in support of our shared vision for a free and open Indo-Pacific.
The Secretary and Minister Singh took note of the incredible progress to implement the new Roadmap for U.S.-India Defense Industrial Cooperation, which the two established in June. The Roadmap will energize co-production or co-development projects to meet India's vital needs, establish pathways to technology sharing, and expand India's growing maintenance, repair, and overhaul sector.
In this context, the Secretary noted both countries' intent to pursue an arrangement to co-produce armored infantry vehicles. This initiative will further strengthen India's domestic defense production and promote long-term supply chain stability. The Secretary and Minister Singh also discussed efforts to strengthen supply chain security and further integrate U.S. and Indian defense industrial ecosystems.
The Secretary and Minister Singh reviewed the tremendous progress achieved through the U.S.-India Defense Acceleration Ecosystem (INDUS-X). They praised the launch of joint challenges focused on maritime security, as well as the recent investors' strategy session convened by the U.S.-India Strategic Partnership Forum and IndUS Tech Council in New Delhi on November 8 to mobilize capital to support robust public-private sector partnerships.
The Secretary and Minister Singh also welcomed efforts to enhance interoperability between our militaries, including through exercises of increasing complexity and geographic scope. They underscored their renewed commitment to conducting partnered activities across all domains, including undersea awareness, space, and artificial intelligence.
The Secretary also reaffirmed the vital mission of the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) and highlighted joint work by the DPAA and Indian government to ensure the fullest possible accounting of missing U.S. service members from the Second World War. In honor of those heroes, Minister Singh provided Secretary Austin artifacts recovered by DPAA and Indian partners during a recent mission in northeast India. The Secretary underscored that the joint work of the DPAA and Indian government honors the memory and heroism of those Americans who sacrificed to keep the world safe and free.
In his meetings with Prime Minister Modi and Minister Jaishankar, the Secretary discussed key priorities in the bilateral relationship and global developments of concern. The Secretary welcomed the Prime Minister's perspective about steps India and the United States should pursue together to cement the gains of the Major Defense Partnership and promote a free and open Indo-Pacific region.
