His reference to a US role in the India-Pakistan understanding, however, is likely to draw scrutiny in New Delhi, which has consistently and publicly rejected claims of third-party mediation in the May 2025 conflict — sparked by the terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam that killed 26 people, and has maintained that the ceasefire was reached directly between the two countries.

‘A critical anchor to hold the line’: Hegseth on India

Speaking at the forum convened annually by the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS), Hegseth’s framing of India’s role was the strongest the Trump administration has articulated since taking office.

“In South Asia, India is a critical anchor to hold the line,” Hegseth said. “A powerful India acting in its own self-interest advances our shared goal of maintaining a balance of power across the region.”

US Sec of Dept of War Hegseth on India

In South Asia, India is the critical anchor to hold the line.

Powerful India acting in its own self-interest advances our main goal of maintaining a balance of power across the region.#Hegseth #indiaglobalreview https://t.co/iUHoLF2p4a pic.twitter.com/aV6KU464LI

— India Strikes YT 🇮🇳 (@IndiaStrikes_) May 30, 2026

He linked India’s role to the broader US burden-sharing demand. “India is modernising its military to carry its share of the security burden, particularly in the Indian Ocean,” Hegseth said.

In the most operationally specific line of his India remarks, Hegseth said New Delhi was “building out the heavy industrial and logistics capacity to sustain high-end military operations, including the ability to repair and maintain our shared platforms and support US Navy vessels operating forward in the theatre.”

He confirmed deepening defence-industrial cooperation: “We have also committed to pursuing co-production with India to advance capabilities like Javelin anti-tank guided munitions.”

India’s senior representative at the Singapore forum is Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh, who on the sidelines outlined India’s vision for a “stable, secure and inclusive Indo-Pacific” at an academic-policy engagement attended by Indian High Commissioner to Singapore Shilpak Ambule, per the Ministry of Defence. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh is hosting the 2nd Australia-India Defence Ministers’ Dialogue in India after Australian Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Richard Marles concludes his Shangri-La engagements.

‘Two nuclear-capable countries’: Hegseth credits Trump with India-Pakistan peace

Hegseth also credited Trump with helping bring about the cessation of hostilities between India and Pakistan after their four-day confrontation in May 2025. “You saw that in the ability of the president to come together on brokering a peace between India and Pakistan, two nuclear capable countries,” Hegseth said.

Trump has repeatedly claimed since the conflict that he helped secure peace between the two neighbours, a framing the Indian government has rejected on multiple occasions through statements from the Ministry of External Affairs and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, both insisting the understanding was reached directly between the two militaries.

The US Secretary of War said both countries would continue to view each other through the prism of security concerns, and signalled that Washington was not, “from our view right now,” labelling either side a threat to the United States.

“I think both sides there are going to see understandable threats coming from the other, maybe some of which we see differently, and countries are going to want to develop ICBM (Intercontinental Ballistic Missile) threats, but we are not pointing a finger, at least from our view right now, at either country and calling them a threat to us,” he said.

Hegseth also praised both countries’ contributions to international stability. “We are grateful for, you know, in each of their lanes, the benefits they have given to peace around the world,” he said.