Defence Secretary Shri Giridhar Aramane and US Under Secretary of Defence for Policy Dr Colin Kahl co-chaired the 17^th meeting of India-US Defence Policy Group (DPG) in Washington DC on May 17, 2023. The meeting was cordial and productive. The two sides reviewed the progress made in furthering defence industrial cooperation and operationalising the India-US Major Defence Partnership. Important aspects such as military-to-military cooperation, implementation of foundational defence agreements, exercises and the ongoing & future cooperative activities in the Indian Ocean Region were discussed.

Considerable focus was given on the ways and means to enhance defence industrial cooperation, including technology partnership, long-term research & development and improving supply chain security. The meeting also discussed promoting co-development and co-production in India including potential areas and projects where Indian and US defence companies could work together. They agreed to encourage both the private and government stakeholders to utilise the innovation ecosystems and promote defence start-ups.

The DPG is the apex official-level mechanism between Ministry of Defence, India and US Department of Defence. It comprehensively reviews and guides all aspects of bilateral defence cooperation with a focus on policy.

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SR/Savvy