India and the United States have agreed to sign a new 10-year Defence Framework during the next meeting between Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth later this year, according to a Pentagon read-out issued on Wednesday. The proposed accord is meant to deepen strategic and industrial cooperation, covering major US defence sales to India, joint production projects and expanded military exercises. Singh pressed for faster delivery of GE F404 engines for India’s Tejas Light Combat Aircraft and for early finalisation of a Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd–GE Aerospace plan to co-produce F414 engines in India, people familiar with the call said. Both officials reviewed progress toward goals set by President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Narendra Modi in their February 2025 joint statement, including supply-chain integration and greater logistics sharing. The Pentagon described India as Washington’s "key defence partner in South Asia" and said the forthcoming framework will build on existing interoperability and industrial links.