India-US defence partnership gets a push

India and the United States on Tuesday discussed ways to further strengthen their defence and strategic partnership as Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh met Admiral Samuel Paparo, Commander of the US Pacific Command, in New Delhi.The two sides also exchanged views on regional and global developments during the meeting, which came as Paparo is on a six-day official visit to India aimed at deepening the defence partnership between the two countries.Also Read: US has deliberately become a ‘lonelier power’, China’s rise reshaping global order: Jaishankar"Defence Secretary Shri Rajesh Kumar Singh met with Admiral Samuel Paparo, Commander of the US Pacific Command, who is on a visit to India. During the meeting, both sides discussed strengthening India-US defence and strategic cooperation and exchanged views on regional and global issues," the Ministry of Defence said in a post on X.Paparo arrived in New Delhi on October 3 and has since held talks with senior Indian political and military officials as the two countries look to expand cooperation across a range of security areas.On Monday, Paparo met senior Indian defence officials, including Chief of Defence Staff General N. S. Raja Subramani, Chief of the Army Staff General Dhiraj Seth, Vice Chief of the Air Staff Air Marshal Ashutosh Dixit and Chief of Integrated Defence Staff Air Marshal Tejinder Singh.US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor highlighted the significance of the meetings, describing Paparo as "One of America's most consequential military leaders"."Honoured to host Admiral Samuel Paparo in India. One of America's most consequential military leaders, Admiral Paparo commands U.S. Pacific Command, the nation's oldest and largest geographic combatant command, overseeing approximately 400,000 military and civilian personnel across a region spanning roughly half the globe," Gor said in a post on X."Admiral Paparo joined India's Chief of Defence Staff, General N. S. Raja Subramani, Chief of the Army Staff, General Dhiraj Seth; Vice Chief of the Air Staff, Air Marshal Ashutosh Dixit; Chief of Integrated Defence Staff, Air Marshal Tejinder Singh; and other senior Indian defence officials for an evening highlighting the growing strength, ambition, and importance of the U.S.-India Major Defence Partnership," he added.Also Read: India-US trade talks hit a plateau, with little room left to give or take, says Finance Minister Nirmala SitharamanPaparo also met External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar earlier during his visit, with the two discussing security cooperation and maritime coordination in the Indo-Pacific."Glad to meet Commander of the US Pacific Command, Admiral Samuel J. Paparo. Discussed advancing our security partnership and maritime cooperation in the Indo-Pacific," Jaishankar posted on X.The talks are taking place against the backdrop of expanding India-US cooperation in defence, technology and maritime security, with both sides seeking to strengthen their ability to respond to evolving regional security challenges.Paparo's discussions with Indian officials have focused on shared security priorities, including digital transformation and emerging technologies, regional strategic stability, defence energy resilience and the increasingly competitive global technology landscape."From emerging technology to maritime security, the United States and India are building a defence partnership equipped to meet the challenges of the future," the US Embassy in India said in a statement.Paparo's India visit is expected to further consolidate military-to-military engagement between the two countries and reinforce the broader US-India Major Defence Partnership.