NEW DELHI (Diya TV) — The United States and India are moving ahead with plans to deepen cooperation across the Indian Ocean Region. Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri and U.S. Under Secretary of State Allison M. Hooker discussed the Indian Ocean Strategic Venture, or IOSV, during a phone call Tuesday.
The MEA said Misri and Hooker discussed opportunities for greater cooperation and complementarity in the Indian Ocean. Their talks included maritime security, strategic infrastructure and connectivity.
The two officials also considered the priorities of partner countries in the region. This approach could help India and the U.S. build wider cooperation with nations that depend on the Indian Ocean for trade, security and economic growth.
The U.S. and India launched the Indian Ocean Strategic Venture in February 2025. U.S. President Donald Trump and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the initiative during their meeting in Washington on Feb. 13, 2025.
The IOSV serves as a bilateral, whole-of-government forum. It seeks to support coordinated investment in economic connectivity and commerce across the Indian Ocean Region. In addition, the initiative aims to strengthen cooperation between the two countries.
The United States-India Joint Leaders’ Statement said Washington values India’s role in development, humanitarian assistance and regional security.
The statement also said the two leaders wanted to deepen dialogue and cooperation across the wider Indian Ocean. The IOSV forms part of that broader effort.
Earlier this month, senior Pentagon official Elbridge Colby said Washington still considers India a critical power.
Colby also rejected suggestions that a change in the name of the U.S. military command covering the region showed less interest in India. He said the move from U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, or INDOPACOM, to Pacific Command, or PACOM, reflected a stronger military focus on the Western Pacific and the first island chain.
However, Colby stressed that the change did not reduce India’s strategic importance. He also said it did not signal less attention to the Indian Ocean.
“This is not in any way a sort of denigration of the importance of the Indian Ocean area or of India itself,” Colby said during an on-the-record virtual briefing organized by the State Department’s Asia Pacific Media Hub.
He pointed to his March visit to India and visits by other senior U.S. officials as signs of continued engagement. According to Colby, Washington sees India as a critical power and considers the Indian Ocean highly important.
He also described the relationship between India and the United States as a natural partnership. At the same time, he acknowledged that the two countries may not always agree on every issue.
