Terrorism an ecosystem, Pakistan-based networks still active: NSA Doval to Rubio
Marco Rubio met Ajit Doval and S Jaishankar in Delhi to advance talks held with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The discussions centred on counter-terror concerns, defence co-production, technology transfer and wider India-US cooperation.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio met National Security Advisor Ajit Doval in New Delhi on Sunday, with India conveying strong concerns over Pakistan-based terror networks and warning that terrorism was “not just an ideology but an entire ecosystem”.
According to sources, Doval told Rubio that terror infrastructure operating from Pakistan remained continuously active and that instability across the Afghanistan-South Asia region continued to pose serious security concerns.
Sources said Doval underlined during the talks that India was no longer focused merely on remaining vigilant against terror threats, but was increasingly moving towards an “action mode” approach in dealing with terrorism and cross-border networks.
Regional security, counter-terrorism cooperation and strategic coordination in the Indo-Pacific and South Asian region figured prominently in the discussions, officials said. The two sides also discussed expanding India-US defence cooperation, with a focus on technology transfer, joint development and co-production initiatives under the India-US Initiative on Critical and Emerging Technology (iCET).
Officials described the defence push as part of a broader strategic shift aimed at positioning India not merely as a defence buyer, but as a co-developer and manufacturing partner in advanced technologies.
Rubio later held a bilateral meeting with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar at Hyderabad House, where both sides reviewed cooperation across trade, technology, artificial intelligence, supply chains, defence and energy sectors.
After the meeting, Rubio said India-US ties “have not lost momentum” and expressed confidence that relations between the two countries would become stronger in the coming years. “India-US relations have not lost momentum India-US relations will come out much stronger in the coming years,” Rubio said.
The US Secretary of State also said Washington hoped the long-pending trade agreement between the two countries would be concluded soon, adding that India and the US were “strategically aligned” on most major global issues.
Jaishankar said the discussions covered developments in West Asia, the Indian subcontinent and East Asia, while reiterating India’s support for “unimpeded” maritime commerce. “We discussed the situation in West Asia, Indian subcontinent and East Asia,” Jaishankar said after the meeting.
The External Affairs Minister also said the two sides discussed civil nuclear cooperation and welcomed recent progress in the energy sector. “Secretary Rubio and I welcomed recent cooperation between India and the US in the energy sector,” he said.
Rubio’s meetings came a day after he called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his official visit to India. Sources said Rubio also extended an invitation to Modi to visit the White House during Saturday’s meeting. Senior Indian officials, including Jaishankar and Doval, were present during the interaction.