India’s defense secretary on Sunday sought to calm concerns that a flare-up in trade tensions with Washington would spill over into defense cooperation, saying military ties and ongoing procurement and exercises with the United States would continue despite recent tariff disputes.
“There is no disruption or dilution of our defense engagement with the United States,” Rajesh Kumar Singh told reporters at the STRIDE defense seminar in Pune. Singh elaborated on the strength of the partnership, noting that defense collaboration between the two countries has continued unhindered even with the imposition of U.S. tariffs.
“There is no spillover effect from the trade tension that you mentioned,” Singh said. "I think those trade tensions are also easing now, and we have resumed our negotiations with them. Hopefully, it will be successful. Our defense collaboration and talks have continued even during that period.”
He offered concrete examples, highlighting recent deliveries of GE engines for the Tejas Light Combat Aircraft and the induction of two Apache helicopters into the Indian Army. “So, I would say defense collaboration will not have much impact,” he stated, emphasizing that high-level delegation talks and 2+2 discussions have also proceeded on schedule.
Singh’s comments come against a fraught backdrop of high-level commerce talks and stepped-up political rhetoric in Washington after U.S. tariffs on many Indian goods were sharply raised this year, first from 25% upto 50%. The additional 25% was a penalty for India's continued purchase of Russian oil. New Delhi and Washington have kept diplomatic channels open, with negotiators holding talks on a possible trade reset even as Indian officials say they will protect domestic interests; U.S. officials have signaled pressure for lower Indian duties. President Donald Trump has publicly pressed New Delhi over tariffs while saying trade and security cooperation remain priorities for his administration.
That balancing act has not been straightforward. Reuters reported in August that India paused talks on some U.S. defense purchases including vehicle and missile programs and certain aircraft deals after the tariff escalation, underscoring how quickly economic measures can complicate procurement timelines. New Delhi later moved to reassure partners that talks had resumed and that ministry-level dialogues and exercises would continue while commercial issues were negotiated separately. Defense officials say pauses have generally been procedural and aimed at securing clarity on pricing and offsets, not a breakdown in strategic cooperation.
U.S. defense industry officials and analysts say the military relationship has deep commercial underpinnings: India has bought significant amounts of U.S. equipment in recent years and is negotiating further purchases and industrial partnerships. U.S. companies and some U.S. government statements put cumulative defense contracts at roughly the tens of billions of dollars in recent years, and a U.S. delegation led by Department of Defense and Boeing representatives is due in New Delhi this week to advance talks on maritime patrol aircraft and sustainment packages, a measure of how tightly economic and security interests are entwined.
New Delhi’s determination to insulate defense ties from commercial friction is driven by the strategic environment. Indian planners point to accelerated submarine procurement by regional competitors, notably Pakistan’s recent induction and launch programs for the Chinese-built Hangor-class diesel-electric boats, which New Delhi views as increasing undersea risks in the Arabian Sea and wider Indian Ocean. Pakistani officials and Chinese shipbuilders have said multiple Hangor units are being delivered or launched under a multi-boat contract, a development that Indian analysts say strengthens Islamabad’s ability to operate below the surface and complicates India’s anti-submarine calculus.
That perceived undersea challenge is one reason India has pushed to deepen interoperability with the United States and other partners on anti-submarine warfare, maritime domain awareness and long-range surveillance. Recent procurement drives including negotiations for additional maritime patrol aircraft, sonar systems, and sensor networks are intended to give India persistent detection and response capability across critical sea-lanes. Defense planners note that such capabilities are not only about buying platforms but also about setting up logistics, local maintenance, and training pipelines that require predictable supplier relations.
The tensions over trade have produced blunt public exchanges. U.S. leaders and some aides have criticized Indian market restrictions and called for swifter concessions; Indian ministers have pushed back, arguing that any deal must protect domestic farmers, small industry and strategic industrial policy. Indian officials say New Delhi is negotiating in good faith and is looking for a calibrated resolution that preserves both economic sovereignty and strategic partnership. In the meantime, Indian defense officials are emphasizing contingency planning: keeping procurement pipelines flexible, accelerating indigenization where feasible, and ensuring that operational commitments with the U.S. and other partners are honored.
However, in recent weeks, Donald Trump appeared to soften his stance toward India after harsh criticism. He had earlier written that “we’ve lost India and Russia to deepest, darkest, China.” But just hours later, he clarified his stance: “I don’t think we have,” he told reporters, adding “I’ve been very disappointed that India would be buying so much oil from Russia. And I let them know that." On September 10, 2025, Trump said his administration is “continuing negotiations with India to address trade barriers,” adding he looks forward to speaking with Prime Minister Modi in the coming weeks and is “certain that there will be no difficulty in coming to a successful conclusion for both of our Great Countries.”
Analysts said the political signaling from both capitals including assurances that security ties are secure, coupled with aggressive trade bargaining reflects a pragmatic compartmentalization. “Both sides realize the longer-term strategic convergence is bigger than a tariff squabble,” said an independent Delhi-based security analyst. “But compartmentalization requires steady diplomacy; procurement teams need commercial clarity to execute complex buys on time.” Observers added that the coming weeks, with slated ministerial and technical talks on trade and defense, will test whether the firewall between commerce and security holds.
For now, India will press ahead with exercises and capability development while seeking to convert some commercial friction into deeper industrial ties including co-production and maintenance partnerships that could lock in long-term defense collaboration even as tariffs are negotiated. Singh’s message on Sunday was aimed at foreign partners as much as domestic audiences: India intends to keep its strategic partnerships intact while asserting its negotiating space on trade.
Citations: Times of India, The Economic Times, The Hindu, The Indian Express, Hindustan Times, Reuters (for technical details)
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