India is 'powerful' and 'modernising' its military, says Hegseth

US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth has said that era of the United States subsidising the defense of wealthy nations is over. Hegseth urges wealthy nations to invest more in their own defense capabilities, emphasizing collective responsibility for regional security. Hegseth made these remarks while talking to the delegates at the Shangri-La Dialogue on Saturday in Singapore. He said, India is powerful and modernising its military, and also highlighted that it is maintaining a balance of power, particularly in the Indian Ocean. He noted that India was also "building a heavy industrial and logistics capacity to sustain high-end military operations." “We've also committed to pursuing co-production with India to advance capabilities,” said Hegseth, adding that America was undergoing a national manufacturing globalisation of its defence.In South Asia, India remains a key strategic pillar, he said.

US Defence Secretary Hegseth at Shangri-la Dialogue

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

Vdo csty: IISS pic.twitter.com/0rCsTO492B

— Sidhant Sibal (@sidhant) May 30, 2026

Hegseth highlighted several points on the US' defence strategy in the region, noting that the Asia-Pacific was the most consequential region in the world, that the security of the region rested “disproportionately” on the US military power and called on nations to invest seriously in their own defence. He pointed out that the US and China relations are better than they have been in many years under President Donald Trump, but also that “no state, including China, can impose hegemony and hold the security of our nation and allies in question”.