New Delhi: Removing “barriers” to collaboration on both sides and maximising the full potential of bilateral ties, including on the defence industry, is a key focus area of the India-US Initiative on Critical and Emerging Technologies (iCET), according to US National Security Advisor (NSA) Jake Sullivan in New Delhi on Tuesday.

Sullivan claimed that New Delhi and Washington are “poised” to take the lead in the transformation of the global semiconductor supply chain as well as those in other critical goods. He also claimed that these two cities will “lead the revolution” in artificial intelligence (AI), cutting-edge computing, biotech, and quantum technology. Sullivan was speaking at a business event hosted by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII).

Sullivan, who is on a two-day visit to India, met his Indian counterpart Ajit Doval on 13 June when the two held the second round of iCET talks. The first dialogue was held in January in Washington DC.

Also present at the CII event was US Ambassador Eric Garcetti, who referred to Doval as an “international treasure”.

Garcetti stressed on the need to translate the vision of iCET into “human terms” and use technology to build on the strong people-to-people ties between India and the US.

Sullivan’s visit comes ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s much-anticipated visit to the US.

Last week, Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra travelled to the US for the strategic trade dialogue, during which both sides agreed to share best practices with regard to export control regimes, and on other issues.

‘Positive momentum under defence, space pillars’

Speaking at the CII event Wednesday, Doval said India and the US continue to have in-depth discussions on biotech, semiconductors and AI under iCET. “There is positive momentum under the defence and space pillars,” he said.

He also expressed optimism that more specific and tangible results would be achieved in the near future.

Under the iCET, India and the US have so far kick-started a Quantum Coordination Mechanism, signed an MoU on semiconductors and were engaging with various stakeholders to further collaboration in Open RAN, 5G, 6G and other critical tech.

Meanwhile, Sullivan said the iCET had the potential for building trust and confidence between the two societies and governments and deepening defence cooperation.

The iCET was launched by PM Modi and US President Joe Biden on the sidelines of the Quad Summit in Tokyo last May.

 

(This story has not been edited by Bharat Express staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)