India and the United States are forging a technology-focused defense partnership to redefine regional innovation, resilience and security. Centered on the new Transforming the Relationship Utilizing Strategic Technology (TRUST) initiative and bolstered by platforms such as the India-United States Defense Acceleration Ecosystem (INDUS-X), the collaboration is elevating cooperation across areas such as artificial intelligence, autonomous systems, semiconductors, and maritime intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance.
Launched in 2025, TRUST expands the scope of its predecessor, the Initiative on Critical and Emerging Technology, to include academia and the private sector alongside government. It underscores deeper bilateral alignment, especially in countering China’s technological and military ambitions.
“Over the past decade, India and the United States have built a strong foundation of strategic alignment across emerging domains such as defense innovation, high technology, artificial intelligence and cybersecurity,” Dr. Imran Khurshid of the New Delhi-based International Centre for Peace Studies told FORUM. “Programs like INDUS-X have only deepened this convergence.”
In July 2025, Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar and U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth met in Washington, D.C., to discuss finalizing a 10-year defense partnership framework. The framework will expand coproduction, enhance interoperability and accelerate defense industry collaboration, according to the U.S. Defense Department.
In April 2025, Indian and U.S. forces incorporated uncrewed and satellite technologies into the bilateral exercise Tiger Triumph for the first time.
TRUST prioritizes resilient supply chains in semiconductors and critical minerals, the latter sector largely dominated by China. According to the industry publication Silicon India, such efforts include a strategic mineral recovery program to source materials including lithium and rare earth minerals, as well as a planned $2.75 billion semiconductor assembly and testing facility in the Indian state of Gujarat for U.S.-based Micron Technology. Such projects seek to shield the India-U.S. tech alliance from supply disruptions and geopolitical risks.
Platforms such as INDUS-X, meanwhile, promote collaboration among defense firms, startups and academic institutions, Khurshid said. The initiative supports emerging technologies such as uncrewed surface vehicles. The Autonomous Systems Industry Alliance, unveiled in February 2025 by New Delhi and Washington, fosters the manufacturing of such systems across the Indo-Pacific, underscoring a shared commitment to next-generation defense technologies, India’s Press Information Bureau (PIB) reported.
Institutional links are the bedrock of the bilateral partnership, Khurshid said. “Even when one channel encounters challenges, the India-U.S. relationship is sustained by a network of resilient and complementary ties spanning diplomacy, business, education and civil society,” he said. “This multidimensional structure helps reinforce long-term cooperation.”
Joint defense initiatives also are spurring local development in both countries. For example, Indian tech firm Mahindra Group and U.S. defense manufacturer Anduril Industries are partnering to develop and produce maritime systems and uncrewed aerial vehicles, according to PIB. Anduril has announced plans for a $1 billion facility in the U.S. state of Ohio to manufacture autonomous systems and weapons for the U.S. and its Indo-Pacific Allies and Partners.
Meanwhile, India is integrating U.S. defense platforms such as MQ-9B drones and pursuing coproduction agreements for Javelin anti-tank missiles and Stryker armored vehicles. The collaborations would reduce New Delhi’s historical reliance on Russian arms imports and increase interoperability with U.S. forces.
Such moves “consistently frame India as a major [U.S.] defense partner and a vital force in ensuring regional balance in the Indo-Pacific,” Khurshid said.
About the Author
