India’s defence minister, pledging commitment to US, bolsters ties with Pentagon

Can Washington trust India? The question has been persistently debated within US policy circles in recent years, as New Delhi maintains its friendly relations with Moscow while US-India defence ties strengthen in their joint effort to counter China’s influence in the Indo-Pacific and beyond.

The day before his meeting with US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin at the Pentagon on Friday, Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh addressed these concerns head-on, without indicating any shift in New Delhi’s position: namely that India welcomed closer ties with Washington but would maintain its ties with Moscow.

Speaking to a gathering of Indian-Americans in Washington, Singh spoke of India’s commitment to strengthening its strategic partnership with the US, while warning New Delhi’s neighbours about the emergence of a more assertive nation.

“Deceit is not in our character. We can be cheated, but we can never cheat others,” he said on Thursday.

Emphasising India’s growing international standing under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Singh stated: “Previously, some of our neighbours thought they could trouble India at will, but India is no longer weak. We are now counted among the world’s strongest nations.”

Singh, whose four-day trip ends on Sunday, described the US and India as “natural allies … destined to be strong partners”.

He added that “India and the US are the two forces which can bring peace, prosperity and stability in the world”.

On Friday, Singh posted on X, formerly Twitter, that he and Austin had had an “excellent meeting”, signing an agreement to secure defence goods and services, which will help each other obtain necessary resources in the event of unexpected supply chain issues.

They also signed a memorandum of agreement to