• India and the US held wide-ranging talks to expand their global strategic partnership by shoring up engagement in areas of defence production, critical minerals and high-technology during the fifth ‘2+2 Ministerial Dialogue’ in New Delhi on November 10.

• The American delegation was led by Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin while Minister of External Affairs S. Jaishankar and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh headed the Indian side.

• The 2+2 dialogue is held between the foreign and defence ministers of two countries.

• India has a 2+2 format dialogue mechanism on strategic and security issues with five countries — the US, Australia, Japan, Russia and the United Kingdom.

India-US 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue

• The India-US 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue, led by the heads of foreign and defence ministries of both countries, reviews the bilateral ties in defence, strategic and security domains as well as important regional and global issues. 

• It has played an instrumental role in developing the framework for future cooperation as well as expansion of ties in various areas of mutual interest.

• It was initiated to provide a positive, forward-looking vision for the India-US strategic partnership and to promote synergy in diplomatic and security efforts.

• The first edition of the 2+2 dialogue was held in New Delhi in September 2018 after the mechanism was approved by PM Narendra Modi and President Donald Trump.

• The second edition of the dialogue took place in Washington in December 2019.

• The third of 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue between the two countries was held in October 2020 in New Delhi.

• The fourth India-US 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue, the first under the Biden administration, was held in Washington on April 11, 2022.

Highlights of the fifth ‘2+2 Ministerial Dialogue’:

• The ministers noted the substantial progress in transforming India-US relations across domains, based on trust and mutual understanding. 

• Building upon the June 2023 and September 2023 visits of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Joe Biden, the ministers reaffirmed the importance of the India-US Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership in ensuring international peace and security. 

• They also underlined their strong commitment to safeguarding a free, open, and inclusive Indo-Pacific through mechanisms like the Quad.

• The ministers reaffirmed their commitment to further deepen the multifaceted defence partnership through wide-ranging dialogues and military exercises of increasing complexity and sophistication, accelerated joint projects initiated under the June 2023 Roadmap for India-US Defence Industrial Cooperation and expanded collaboration in emerging domains, such as space and artificial intelligence.

• Negotiations have commenced for a commercial agreement between General Electric (GE) Aerospace and Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) to manufacture GE F-414 jet engines in India. 

• Looking ahead, the Ministers welcomed the progress achieved towards co-production and co-development of defence systems, noting their mutual interest to co-develop and co-produce ground mobility systems, as they bring the two countries’ respective defence sectors closer together while enhancing Indian capabilities. 

• Both sides look forward to further discussions about export control and technology transfers in the Strategic Trade Dialogue and its affiliated working groups.

The ministers looked forward to the finalisation of a Security of Supply Arrangement (SOSA), a key priority in the Roadmap, which will further integrate the defence industrial ecosystems of both countries while strengthening supply chain resilience.

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