U.S. Consulate Rolls Out Defense Partnership Program to Strengthen Regional Security and Trust

The U.S. Consulate General in Kolkata has announced a new initiative aimed at deepening the U.S.-India defense partnership across the Indo-Pacific region. This program is part of a broader effort to build on recent progress made during the February 2025 meeting between President Trump and Prime Minister Modi, which also saw the launch of the U.S.-India COMPACT initiative.

The new initiative focuses on strengthening cooperation across all defense domains—air, land, sea, space, and cyberspace. Its main goal is to showcase the strategic and economic advantages of this growing partnership and how it contributes to regional and global security.

A key feature of the program is its localized approach. Over the next 18 months, a series of workshops will be held in at least six Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities such as Guwahati, Coimbatore, Visakhapatnam, Pune, Lucknow, and Gangtok/Itanagar. Each workshop will gather around 40 participants, including defense professionals, business leaders, journalists, and influencers, to discuss and amplify real-life success stories of U.S.-India defense collaboration.

Topics will include technology sharing, co-production of defense equipment, joint military exercises, and how these efforts benefit the broader Indo-Pacific region. After the workshop series, there will be a six-month follow-up phase to continue the momentum.

The program also seeks to boost defense trade and trust between both nations through engaging, locally relevant storytelling. Interested parties must submit their applications by July 16, 2025 (11:59 p.m. Washington D.C. time).

This initiative not only highlights strategic cooperation but also brings defense diplomacy closer to local communities in India.