A key committee of the United States Congress is set to hold a public hearing on December 10 to examine the current status and future direction of the India–U.S. strategic partnership, reflecting Washington’s growing focus on New Delhi as a central pillar of its Indo-Pacific strategy. The session, titled “The U.S.–India Strategic Partnership: Securing a Free and Open Indo-Pacific,” will be convened by the Subcommittee on South and Central Asia under the House Foreign Affairs Committee.

Key Highlights

• US House panel will review India–US partnership, focusing on defence, technology, and Indo-Pacific stability.
• Experts will testify on strengthening cooperation amid evolving regional challenges and shared strategic priorities.

The hearing will be chaired by Bill Huizenga, a Republican representative from Michigan. Several leading experts on Asia and foreign policy will appear as witnesses. Among them are Jeff Smith, Director of the Asian Studies Centre at the Heritage Foundation; Dhruva Jaishankar, Executive Director of ORF America; and Sameer Lalwani, Senior Fellow in the Indo-Pacific Program at the German Marshall Fund of the United States. Their testimonies are expected to offer in-depth perspectives on defense cooperation, technology-sharing, and geopolitical developments affecting both nations.

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The review comes at a time when India and the U.S. are intensifying collaboration in areas such as defense modernisation, military interoperability, critical and emerging technologies, maritime security, and supply-chain resilience. The panel is expected to discuss how the partnership contributes to maintaining a rules-based order in the Indo-Pacific, especially amid China’s growing regional assertiveness.

The hearing underscores the bipartisan recognition of India as a crucial strategic ally. It also highlights Washington’s intention to deepen political, security, and economic engagement with New Delhi, as both countries navigate a shifting global order and expand cooperation across multiple sectors.