India-U.S. Strategic Partnership Expands Across Energy and Defence Sectors as Nuclear Reforms Under SHANTI Act Gain Momentum

Summary

Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri completed a significant three-day visit to the United States, engaging in high-level discussions with key American officials across energy, defence, commerce, and diplomatic domains. Central to his meetings with U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright were discussions on expanding bilateral energy trade, with particular focus on nuclear power cooperation, coal gasification, and LPG exports, bolstered by the recently enacted SHANTI Act that fundamentally restructures India's civil nuclear framework. The SHANTI Act, which came into force in December, marks a landmark reform by repealing two legacy nuclear laws and opening India's civil nuclear sector to private participation, creating new avenues for U.S.-India nuclear collaboration. Simultaneously, India's Air Chief Marshal A.P. Singh visited Peterson Space Force Base in Colorado Springs, engaging with the Commander of US-NORTHCOM/NORAD on complex operational matters, signaling deepening military-to-military ties. U.S. Ambassador Sergei Gor further reinforced defence cooperation momentum through separate meetings with the U.S. Deputy Secretary of Defence and Secretary of the Army, emphasizing growing interoperability and defence sales between the two nations.