3 min readNew DelhiJan 29, 2026 05:12 PM IST
A United States Congressional delegation, led by House Armed Services Committee Chairman Michael Rogers and Ranking Member Adam Smith, during its recent visit to New Delhi, underscored sustained US engagement to advance defence cooperation and deepen strategic coordination with India, a statement from the US Embassy said.
The delegation, which also included Representative Jimmy Patronis and senior committee staff, met with Minister of External Affairs Dr S Jaishankar and senior Indian officials, including Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh, and held discussions with Indian and American defence industry leaders during its visit between January 24 and 28.
“The United States values India as a Major Defense Partner. Our discussions in New Delhi focused on strengthening defense cooperation and advancing defense technology collaboration that supports India’s defense modernization and enhances regional stability,” the statement quoted Chairman Rogers as saying.
“The relationship between the United States and India is extremely important for both of our countries and the world. Our ability to conduct the kind of candid dialogue we have carried out on this delegation is crucial to strengthening our defense cooperation and regional stability, providing both economic and national security benefits for all involved,” Ranking Member Smith said.
US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor stated, “Chairman Rogers’ visit and meetings with Indian leaders and defense experts advanced practical cooperation on protecting Americans and Indians as well as people throughout the region. These discussions strengthened ongoing defense collaboration, supported India’s defense modernization goals, and reinforced our shared commitment to stability in the Indo-Pacific.”
According to the statement, the delegation’s meetings focussed on expanding defence cooperation, accelerating defence technology collaboration, and identifying opportunities to enhance co-development and co-production between the United States and India in support of shared security objectives.
Last week, Army Chief General Upendra Dwivedi met US Secretary of the Army Daniel P Driscoll to discuss a range of issues, including strengthening bilateral defence cooperation, deepening military-to-military engagement, and reinforcing the shared commitment of both armies to global peace and security.
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The meeting comes in the immediate aftermath of the US releasing the National Defence Strategy (NDS).
Last year, India and the United States signed the ‘framework for the US-India major defence partnership’—a significant development signalling stable ties between the two countries in the defence sector, irrespective of months of ongoing tensions between them over the issue of tariffs.
