India and the US reaffirmed their commitment to "deepen and diversify" their already substantial "major defence partnership" through accelerated defence-industrial cooperation, which includes joint production of jet engines and expanded cooperation in new and emerging domains such as space and artificial intelligence (AI). The completion of the US Congress' notification procedure and the start of commercial negotiations between GE Aerospace and Hindustan Aeronautics to jointly produce GE-414 jet engines in India - with an 80% technology transfer - for the homegrown Tejas Mark-2 fighters were both welcomed in the joint statement following the Modi-Biden meeting.
The two leaders "recommitted to work collaboratively and expeditiously to support the advancement of this unprecedented co-production and technology transfer proposal", it said.
The statement also confirmed a media report that the Indian defence ministry had written the Biden administration a formal letter of request (LoR) for the massive purchase of 31 MQ-9B "hunter-killer" drones from the US. New Delhi was eager to sign the contract this fiscal year. While the final cost is still to be fixed for the 31 drones, along with their weapon packages and associated equipment, the deal is estimated to be around $3 billion.
"The leaders also welcomed further commitments from US industry to invest more in India’s maintenance, repair, and overhaul capabilities and facilities for aircraft," it said. The two leaders also commended the India-US Defence Acceleration Ecosystem (INDUS-X) team for establishing a robust collaboration agenda to harness the innovative work of the defence sectors in the two countries "to address shared security challenges".
Biden backs India for a permanent UNSC seat
Meanwhile, Biden reiterated America's support for India's bid for a permanent seat at the UN Security Council and praised India's presidency of the G20. "Continuing to share the view that global governance must be more inclusive and representative, Biden reaffirmed his support for a reformed UN Security Council with India as a permanent member," the two sides said in a joint statement, which also mentioned the US's backing for India's return to the UNSC as a non-permanent member in 2028–29.
Biden also praised India's chairmanship of the group for further illustrating how the G20 as a forum is generating "important outcomes" on a day when representatives of the two countries were working diligently to overcome profound disagreements over the Ukraine war to iron out a consensus declaration.