India – US Sign 10 Year Roadmap for Major Defense Partnership

A Decade of Defence: India and US Chart Strategic Roadmap

On November 1, 2025, India and the United States signed a 10-year roadmap for defence cooperation, setting ambitious targets for joint production, technology co-development, and enhanced military interoperability. The agreement, inked by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth during the ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting-Plus (ADMM-Plus) in Kuala Lumpur, represents a significant milestone in bilateral relations. Among other targets, it calls for expanding multilateral military exercises and boosting indigenous defence manufacturing under the “Make in India, Make for the World” initiative.

Breaking Precedents: The Long View in Indo-US Defence Ties

This roadmap diverges sharply from previous short-term and transactional arrangements between India and the U.S. Its decade-long horizon reflects a deepened strategic partnership beyond procurement deals. Historically, agreements like the LEMOA (2016), COMCASA (2018), and BECA (2020) focused narrowly on logistics, communication, and geospatial data sharing. The latest roadmap, however, emphasizes co-production of advanced defence platforms, including drones, surveillance aircraft, and munitions. Such collaboration aligns with India’s aspirations of building long-term defence manufacturing capabilities.

The commitment to multilateral military exercises like Yudh Abhyas and Malabar also signals a fresh approach. These exercises hitherto focused on building short-term interoperability; the roadmap extends this effort into sustained capacity-building campaigns to address shared regional threats like maritime piracy and disaster response.

The Machinery in Action: Institutional Mandates and Legal Frameworks

This ambitious agreement is bolstered by the U.S. declaration of India as a Major Defence Partner (MDP) in 2016. Under the MDP framework, India enjoys simplified export control licenses for U.S. defence technologies—a critical provision given that concerns over intellectual property rights often delay technology transfers. The roadmap further aims to regulate this through Memoranda of Agreement like the Security of Supply Arrangement (SOSA), signed in 2024, which secures priority access for Indian defence needs.

Importantly, the pact aligns with India’s Defence Procurement Procedure (DPP), updated as of 2020, which prioritizes indigenous manufacturing projects over outright foreign imports. The roadmap leverages provisions within India’s Defence Acquisition Procedure, especially the “Buy and Make (Indian)” category, fostering joint ventures between domestic firms and American firms.

Yet, challenges persist. U.S. export controls through its International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) could potentially restrict full transfer of cutting-edge technologies to Indian firms. Another legal complexity arises from India's commitment to its strategic autonomy and continued reliance on Russian technologies, evident from its use of S-400 missile systems despite U.S. displeasure.

Claims vs. Ground Reality: What the Data Reveals

Behind the rhetoric of an "unprecedented partnership," the Indian defence budget tells its own story. For FY 2024-25, India spent ₹5.94 lakh crore on defence, but its capital outlay for modernisation was ₹1.62 lakh crore—a mere 27% of the total budget. Without substantially increasing defence spending, large-scale joint production remains aspirational. Even current U.S.-made defence platforms in India highlight the limitations: while Apache helicopters and Poseidon aircraft are high-quality assets, their replacement parts often require long U.S. approval chains, delaying operational readiness.

Similarly, multilateral exercises like Yudh Abhyas demonstrate uneven engagement. Participation varies significantly, with U.S. involvement steered more toward symbolic optics rather than operational depth. At the 2025 edition held in Alaska, troop participation from both sides stayed below 300 personnel—a modest improvement from 2020 but far short of maximizing interoperability.

Uncomfortable Questions: Capacity, Timing, and Political Priorities

The optimism surrounding the 2025 road map obscures critical structural challenges. India’s defence manufacturing ecosystem lacks the capacity to absorb sophisticated technologies overnight. The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has long struggled with delays, as seen in the Tejas fighter jet program, which took decades to deliver limited operational platforms. Can a roadmap spanning ten years realistically override these systemic inefficiencies?

Moreover, timing raises questions. The pact was signed just months before the U.S. Presidential elections in November 2026. Is the roadmap merely posturing to placate a sceptical Capitol Hill? For India, the political calculation is equally important: the general elections of early 2026 loom. Will continuity be ensured, irrespective of electoral outcomes?

A broader critique lies in the lack of state-level engagement. Defence production remains uneven across India. States like Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu host robust facilities, while others lag far behind. Without granular planning to address regional disparities, the "Make in India, Make for the World" slogan risks remaining a rhetorical flourish.

International Comparison: Lessons from South Korea

In 2018, South Korea entered a similar decade-long defence pact with the United States under the Special Measures Agreement. Despite sharing technology and conducting frequent joint exercises, South Korea insisted on manufacturing crucial equipment domestically, such as the advanced KFX fighter jets. While India often relies on imports to close capability gaps, South Korea’s insistence on indigenous production strengthened its domestic industry and offset dependence on external systems. India’s challenge will be to simultaneously build and operationalize domestic capabilities under the roadmap’s ambitious targets.

Probable Exam Questions

• Prelims MCQ 1: Which foundational agreement enables logistical sharing between India and the U.S.?
  • A. BECA
  • B. COMCASA
  • C. LEMOA
  • D. SOSA

  Correct Answer: C. LEMOA

• Prelims MCQ 2: What percentage of India's FY 2024-25 defence budget was allocated to capital modernisation?
  • A. 37%
  • B. 27%
  • D. 17%

  Correct Answer: B. 27%

Mains Q: Critically evaluate whether the 2025 India-U.S. Defence Roadmap can help India achieve genuine strategic autonomy in defence production amidst international export control regimes and domestic capacity constraints.

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