A senior expert at the Heritage Foundation has called for the United States to “deepen and broaden defence cooperation” with India, highlighting the need to counter China’s growing influence in the Indo-Pacific.

Robert Peters, Senior Research Fellow at the conservative think tank, outlined in his report, “The United States and India: A Call to Confront the Shared China Threat,” that both nations share an interest in preventing Chinese hegemony in the Indian Ocean. Peters emphasized strengthening India’s naval capacity through US military sales, co-development of technologies, and joint diplomatic initiatives.

Peters, who served in the Obama administration as Special Advisor for Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction, advocated for a “strategy of denial” in the Indian Ocean, recommending that the US increase the sharing of naval intelligence with India. He noted that India is enhancing maritime domain awareness and space-based surveillance with regional partners.

The report also stressed the importance of developing India’s domestic drone industry. Peters suggested that supplying India with intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) and strike assets, including drones, would help deter Chinese aggression while enabling India to build cost-effective systems at scale.

Peters further recommended fostering military sales both ways, noting that India’s growing defence industrial base could export hardware to Indo-Pacific nations and Africa, filling strategic gaps that might otherwise be filled by China.

Highlighting the significance of bilateral ties, Peters cautioned the US to focus on shared interests and avoid criticism of India’s domestic policies. “India is an extremely critical partner of the United States, and both parties will lose out if the relationship is not maintained,” he warned.

The recommendations come as defence ties between the US and India remain strong, with recent engagements including Indian Armed Forces Medical Services visits to Washington and discussions at the Pentagon.