Defense Committee

U.S.-India relations have emerged stronger through the pandemic. Over the last two decades the U.S. has become a significant supplier of defense equipment to India, become India’s largest military exercise partner, taken steps to improve interoperability and coordination, and signed technical agreements to further expand India’s access to high-end American defense technology. The multifaceted relationship has made considerable progress to push forward bilateral defense cooperation and with a continued upward trajectory. As a major supplier of aerospace and defense products to India, the U.S. is keen to look for a way forward in meeting India’s needs and aspirations of achieving self-reliance. Key testimony to this was the signing of all the foundational agreements to bolster defense ties between the two nations and defense sales to India now exceeding $22 billion. Significant collaboration opportunities in strategic and technical expertise across defense infrastructure, defense systems and the electronics equipment segment focuses on ways to strengthen military-to-military engagement and bilateral defense trade, including industry collaboration. 

The Defense Committee is a forum for discussion on topics related to government-to-government and private sector involvement in the growing U.S.-India defense relationship. Committee members convene monthly for business meetings, sessions with U.S. government officials, seminars and conferences to address topics of U.S. defense engagement in India and prepares submissions to the government highlighting proposed recommendations to defense sector policies.