US Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard met Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi on Monday evening, marking the first high-level visit to India by a top official of the Donald Trump administration. During the meeting, PM Modi presented Gabbard with a vase containing Gangajal from the recently concluded Mahakumbh in Prayagraj, symbolizing India’s spiritual and cultural heritage.
Gabbard’s visit focuses on strengthening India-US ties
Gabbard arrived in New Delhi early Sunday for a two-and-a-half-day visit, during which she engaged in high-level discussions aimed at enhancing India-US strategic cooperation.
Earlier in the day, she met Defence Minister Rajnath Singh for wide-ranging talks on boosting defence ties, intelligence sharing, and security cooperation between the two nations.
India-US defence and security cooperation reviewed
According to a statement from the Defence Ministry, both leaders emphasized that strategic security cooperation remains a critical pillar of the India-US global partnership.
Key discussions included:
- Military exercises and strategic cooperation progress
- Integration of defence industrial supply chains
- Enhanced information-sharing mechanisms, particularly in the maritime domain
- Bolstering interoperability between the armed forces of both nations
Both sides reaffirmed their commitment to deepening security cooperation, with a focus on strengthening resilience, innovation, and defence industrial collaboration.
Gabbard’s visit underscores the growing depth of India-US relations, particularly in the areas of defence, security, and intelligence-sharing, as both nations seek to enhance bilateral strategic engagement in the Indo-Pacific and beyond.
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