The North News
New Delhi, May 31
India and the United States have reaffirmed their commitment to a forward-looking and strategic defence partnership during a series of high-level meetings in Washington, D.C., led by Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri. The visit, which took place from May 27 to May 29, was a follow-up to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s February 2025 trip to the US, during which the India-U.S. COMPACT (Catalysing Opportunities for Military Partnership, Accelerated Commerce & Technology) was launched. Accompanied by Deputy National Security Advisor Pavan Kapoor, Misri engaged with senior officials across key arms of the US administration, including the Department of State, the Pentagon, the National Security Council, the Department of the Treasury, and the Department of Commerce.
At a luncheon meeting with Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau, both sides reviewed the full spectrum of the bilateral agenda. They identified Technology, Trade and Talent as the foundational pillars that would shape the India-U.S. partnership in the 21st century.
Defence cooperation was at the core of discussions with Deputy Secretary of Defense Steve Feinberg and Under Secretary for Policy Elbridge Colby. Both countries reiterated their shared interest in joint defence production and development, enhanced interoperability through regular military exercises, and expanded logistics and information-sharing frameworks.
Economic engagement featured prominently in Misri’s talks with Deputy Secretary of the Treasury Michael Faulkender. The two sides explored avenues to deepen collaboration in international financial institutions and coordinate on upcoming Financial Action Task Force (FATF) processes.
Commercial and technological cooperation was addressed during discussions with Under Secretary of Commerce Jeffrey Kessler. The two delegations reviewed progress on the India-U.S. Bilateral Trade Agreement, strategies for cooperation in critical and emerging technologies, and the streamlining of ITAR and export control regulations. They agreed to hold the next Strategic Trade Dialogue soon.
The visit also included detailed inter-agency discussions across a spectrum of strategic areas outlined in the COMPACT, including energy security, the TRUST initiative, counter-terrorism, the Indian Ocean Strategic Venture, and collaboration through multilateral groupings such as the Quad, I2U2, and the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEEC).
In a roundtable co-chaired by Misri and Kapoor with industry leaders, the focus was on advancing bilateral cooperation in critical and emerging technologies. The delegation also engaged in a substantive dialogue with think tank scholars, reflecting the broad and evolving scope of the India-U.S. strategic partnership.
