India and the United States must stay at the forefront of developing critical technologies to protect their value systems and strategic interests, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval stated. Doval made these remarks alongside his American counterpart, Jake Sullivan, during the iCET (India-US initiative on Critical and Emerging Technology) industry roundtable hosted by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII).
Doval's comments followed the unveiling of a series of transformative initiatives aimed at deepening India-US cooperation in areas such as artificial intelligence, semiconductors, critical minerals, advanced telecommunications, and defense space. "The US and India have got to remain at the forefront of technology in case we need to protect and defend our value systems and it is part of a larger strategic interest," Doval emphasized.
Launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Joe Biden in May 2022, iCET aims to foster greater collaboration between the two nations in critical technologies. Doval highlighted the substantial progress made under iCET, particularly in the defense innovation roadmap and the semiconductor industry. "iCET has achieved more than we could imagine," he noted.
Sullivan, in his address, outlined three crucial aspects of technology partnerships: innovation, production, and deployment. He underscored the importance of government support for private-sector innovation and noted the bipartisan support for Indian industry in the US. Sullivan emphasized building a robust ecosystem and supply chain as key to successful production.
The iCET initiative represents a landmark agreement between India and the US, focusing on emerging technologies such as AI, semiconductors, biotech, and defense innovation. CII Director General Chandrajit Banerjee reiterated that under iCET, the two countries are working on sectors like AI, biotech, critical materials and minerals, and semiconductors to foster deeper engagement.
During the roundtable, industry representatives shared their experiences of collaboration and discussed plans to enhance India-US cooperation through government facilitation.
Sullivan's visit to Delhi, from June 17 to 18, marked the first trip to India by a senior Biden Administration official since Prime Minister Modi's third-term election. Accompanied by a high-level delegation of senior US government officials and industry leaders, Sullivan's visit followed a brief conversation between Modi and Biden at the G7 summit in Italy's Apulia region.
The NSA duo assured industry leaders of their commitment to addressing specific issues and removing barriers to deepen India-US ties, signifying a robust future for technological collaboration between the two nations.