India, US sign def pact for security of supplies; selecting cos next step
India and the US have signed a new agreement that will prioritise supply of defence equipment and components to each other to meet urgent national security requirements, even as defence minister Rajnath Singh described the partnership as a «formidable force» for global peace and security.
Singh held a meeting with US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin in Pentagon, Washington DC, and the two had wide-ranging discussions on bilateral defence cooperation, industrial collaboration, regional security and other international issues.
The Security of Supply Arrangement (SOSA) was signed during Rajnath Singh's visit to the US, where other initiatives, including transfer of technology and expanding military cooperation in the Indo-Pacific, are also being taken forward.
Officials said that SOSA, signed by Vic Ramdass, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Industrial Base Policy, on behalf of the United States, and Samir Kumar Sinha, Additional Secretary and Director General (Acquisitions), on behalf of India, will enable both countries to acquire industrial resources needed to resolve unanticipated supply chain disruptions.
«SOSA will increase paths of acquisition for defence related products between the two countries, and importantly diversify and build more resilient supply chains. The agreement, even though not legally binding, will open new avenues for cross investments and partnerships between Indian and US companies,» Pushan Das, director, Aerospace & Defence, US-India Business Council says.
India will
