US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin to visit India this month

New Delhi:The New US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin will be visiting India later this month. His trip will be a part of a larger plan to visit Indo-Pacific countries. This will be the first in-person visit of any top US administration official to Delhi and since Joe Biden took charge as the new US President in Washington.

The visit, likely to take place in the later part of the month, will take place as even the Quad leadership meeting is in the works. The Quad meet will see US President Joe Biden, Australian PM Scott Morrison, Indian PM Narendra Modi, and Japan's Yoshihide Suga in attendence.

During his India visit, Llyod will hold talks with Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh. Remember both defence ministers held talks in January, with key focus on Indo Pacific vision backed by New Delhi and Washington.

Confirming plans of the meet Australian PM Scott Morrison said, "I am looking forward to that first gathering of quad leaders. It will be the first-ever gathering of quad leaders. I already had bilateral discussions with Narendra Modi and Yoshihide Suga, the PM of Japan and PM of India."

India, US share close defence cooperation with Washington authorising over $20 billion in defense sales to India.

The US State department last week said, "It’s these offers of advanced US defense platforms that demonstrate our commitment to India’s security and sovereignty. It demonstrates our commitment to that global, comprehensive, strategic partnership."