By Admin 
A major defense agreement has been signed between America and India amid the dispute over buying oil from Russia and arbitrary tariffs. Defense Minister Rajnath Singh and US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth signed the agreement for 10 years on Friday (October 31, 2025) in Kuala Lumpur, the capital of Malaysia.
This is the first time after Operation Sindoor that Rajnath Singh and Pete Hegseth met. Defense ministers of both the countries have come to participate in the ASEAN Plus meeting. Relations between India and America have soured since Operation Sindoor. India has always been denying US President Donald Trump’s claim of ceasefire regarding the ceasefire with Pakistan.
But keeping aside the bitterness, Rajnath Singh said about this agreement that a new chapter is beginning with the signing of the defense framework. At the same time, Pete Hegseth has described this agreement as historic and said that it is taking the India-US defense partnership forward.
This defense partnership is a sign of our increasing strategic convergence – Rajnath
Regarding the agreement, Defense Minister Rajnath Singh said, ‘A useful meeting was held with his American counterpart Pete Hegseth in Kuala Lumpur. We signed a 10-year ‘Framework for the US-India Major Defense Partnership’. This will usher in a new era in our already strong defense partnership. This defense framework will provide policy direction to the entire dimension of India-US defense relations. This is a sign of our growing strategic convergence and will usher in a new decade of partnership. He said, ‘Defence will remain a major pillar of our bilateral relations. Our partnership is important to ensure a free, open and rules-based Indo-Pacific region.
This agreement takes our defense partnership forward – Pete Hegseth
At the same time, US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said on the 10-year-old US-India Defense Framework Agreement, ‘It advances our defense partnership, which is a cornerstone for regional stability and deterrence. We are strengthening our coordination, information sharing and technology cooperation. Our defense ties are stronger than ever.
Rajnath-Hegseth had discussed about Operation Sindoor
After the Pahalgam massacre on April 22, US Defense Minister Pete Hegseth had a long talk with Defense Minister Rajnath Singh. During that time, Rajnath Singh had described Pakistan as a disease state i.e. an evil country and said that Pakistan is engaged in destabilizing South Asia and increasing global terrorism. At the same time, Hegseth had told Rajnath Singh that India has full right to self-defense and America stands firmly with India.
After Operation Sindoor, there was once again a conversation between Hegseth and Rajnath Singh. In which Rajnath Singh had clearly said that India will continue to take military action against terrorism. This conversation took place at a time when US President Donald Trump was repeatedly saying that he had stopped the ceasefire between India and Pakistan. But India has made it clear that the military confrontation has been stopped on the request of Pakistan. Trump had no role in the ceasefire.
Now, for the first time after defeating Pakistan, Rajnath Singh and Hegseth have met in Malaysia. It is believed that apart from the 10-year defense deal, the delay in the engine of LCA Tejas fighter jet and Operation Sindoor would also have been discussed between the two defense ministers.
Indian Navy announces joint Malabar exercise with US
At the time when the defense agreement was being signed in Kuala Lumpur by Rajnath and Hegseth, at the same time in the capital Delhi, the Indian Navy announced to organize joint exercise ‘Malabar’ with America, Australia and Japan. Vice Admiral Sanjay Vatsyayan, Co-Chief of the Indian Navy, informed that in the last week of November, Malabar Exercise is being organized at the Guam Military Base under the US Indo-Pacific Command.
It is believed that after this agreement, the date of Cope Exercise between the Indian and American Air Forces will also be announced soon. Air forces of Australia and Japan can also participate in this exercise.
Also read: ‘Congress itself stood with the rioters’, Kharge demanded a ban on RSS, BJP got angry