At the end of January 2023, India’s National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval and the U.S. NSA Jake Sullivan officially launched the United States-India initiative on Critical and Emerging Technologies (iCET). The Carnegie India Working Group studies, analyzes, and makes policy-relevant interventions in the various priority areas under the iCET. These include uncovering and recovering avenues for cooperation on semiconductors, civilian space technologies, defense innovation, bioeconomy, and quantum computing as well as the overall deepening of ties pertaining to science and technology. The working group is made up of experts within Carnegie India.
Indian National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval and U.S. NSA Jake Sullivan chaired the second meeting of the India-U.S. initiative on Critical and Emerging Technology (iCET) in New Delhi, emphasizing strides in space, semiconductors, telecom, AI, quantum tech, biotech, and clean energy.
The meeting underscored commitments to enhance U.S.-India collaboration across government, industry, and academia, focusing on key areas such as innovation, space technology, defense, telecommunications, biotechnology, semiconductors, clean energy, and critical minerals. They announced significant funding and initiatives, including over $90 million for the U.S.-India Global Challenges Institute, joint research projects in next-gen telecom and AI, regulatory support for startups, and deepened STEM partnerships. The meeting celebrated milestones like the NASA-ISRO space missions, defense co-production agreements, and semiconductor partnerships. Additionally, they celebrated the launch of the "Bio-5" on June 5, 2024, a track 1.5 Biopharmaceutical Supply Chain Consortium with key industry and government stakeholders from India, the Republic of Korea, Japan, the United States, and the European Commission. Both sides also welcomed the launch of a “Bio-X” initiative to boost biotechnology cooperation and industry competitiveness in areas like molecular communication and the Internet of Bio-Nano Things. Lastly, efforts in clean energy, critical minerals, and advanced technologies like quantum computing and AI were highlighted, aiming to bolster bilateral cooperation and address global challenges through innovation and strategic partnerships.
Deputy National Security Advisor (Strategic Affairs) Vikram Misri, National Security Council Secretariat (NSCS), and Principal Deputy National Security Advisor of the United States of America Jonathan Finer hold bilateral discussions. During the consultations, they reviewed bilateral issues and global developments, focusing on the India-U.S. Initiative on Critical and Emerging Technology (iCET) in particular.
While conducting the first comprehensive midterm review of the iCET, both countries expressed satisfaction with progress in various technology domains. They also agreed to broaden iCET’s scope to include biotechnology, critical minerals, digital connectivity, and advanced materials.
India and the United States sign an MoU to enhance innovation ecosystems through an innovation handshake under the framework of the India-U.S. Commercial Dialogue. The agreement involves a focus on the critical and emerging technologies identified under the iCET.
This agreement seeks to foster connections between the Indian and American start-up ecosystems. The two countries aim to address the specific regulatory challenges that are impeding cooperation and share best practices regarding start-up fundraising. They also seek to encourage innovation and job growth, particularly in the critical and emerging technologies identified under the iCET.
Prime Minister Modi and President Biden hold bilateral discussions on the sidelines of the G20 Summit hosted by India from September 9–10. The joint statement issued by the countries post the meeting commends the INDUS-X team for establishing a robust collaboration agenda that will facilitate innovation in the U.S. and Indian defense sectors.
The joint statement also mentions the initiatives by non-governmental stakeholders to implement the INDUS-X collaboration agenda.
On August 25, a joint accelerator program was initiated for Indian start-ups. The workshop led by U.S. accelerator M/s Hacking4Allies (H4Allies) and IIT Hyderabad intended to equip the start-ups with the know-how to commercialize, recruit talent, and expand.
On August 29, the inaugural Academia Start-up Partnership was convened by IIT Kanpur and Pennsylvania State University. The virtual gathering, which consisted of U.S. and Indian academics, government officials, and industry representatives, discussed ways to develop innovation ecosystems in emerging domains like AI, space, and cyber.
Prime Minister Modi and President Biden hold bilateral discussions on the sidelines of the G20 Summit hosted by India from September 9–10. The joint statement issued by the countries post the meeting reaffirms the role of iCET in strengthening the India-U.S. strategic partnership.
To maintain the momentum of iCET, both sides expressed their intention to undertake a midterm review in September 2023 before the next annual review scheduled for early 2024.
The Indian Ministry of Defence (MoD) and the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) hold the first virtual meeting of the India-U.S. Defense Acceleration Ecosystem (INDUS-X) Senior Advisory Group. INDUS-X is an innovation bridge under iCET that aims to link the defense innovation ecosystems of both countries.
The meeting was attended by participants from MoD’s Innovations for Defence Excellence (iDEX) and the DOD’s Defense Innovation Unit (DIU).
DIU and iDEX launched the first two joint defense challenges: undersea communication and maritime intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR). These shared challenges will be presented to start-ups later in the month for them to develop appropriate technological solutions. The most promising technology would be entitled to financial awards along with potential procurement opportunities.
The Senior Advisory Group also welcomed initiatives by non-governmental stakeholders to implement the INDUS-X collaboration agenda.
During Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s state visit to the United States, Prime Minister Modi and President Biden also launch two public-private Joint Task Forces on advanced telecommunications—an area of focus under the iCET.
One Task Force will focus on the development and deployment of Open RAN systems, while the other will look at research and development in 5G/6G technologies. These research initiatives will be co-led by India’s Bharat 6G Alliance and the United States’ Next G Alliance.
During Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s state visit to the United States, the two countries make a slew of announcements pertaining to cooperation in semiconductors—a target area under the iCET.
Micron Technology commits to investing up to $825 million to set up a semiconductor assembly and test facility in India. The project will be supported by both the India Semiconductor Mission and the State Government of Gujarat. The combined investment of Micron and the two government entities is valued at $2.75 billion.
Applied Materials intends to invest $400 million over four years to establish a collaborative engineering center in Bengaluru to further the development of semiconductor equipment subsystems and components.
Lam Research will deliver a virtual nanofabrication environment that will train 60,000 Indian engineers in nanotechnologies over a span of ten years. This will boost India's semiconductor education and workforce development goals.
India signs the Artemis Accords, a U.S.-led international partnership on civil space exploration and research. Fostering closer cooperation in the area of space falls under the umbrella of the iCET.
The Artemis Accords are grounded in the Outer Space Treaty of 1967 and consist of thirteen non-legally binding principles to guide sustainable civil space exploration. India became the twenty-seventh country to sign the Accords.
General Electric (GE) and Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) inked a memorandum of understanding to coproduce fighter jet engines in India. The United States had committed to expediting GE’s application to produce jet engines in India at the inaugural meeting of the iCET.
GE and HAL will now manufacture the GE F414 jet engine in India which will power the indigenous Tejas Mk II fighter. This ‘trailblazing’ agreement will see a greater transfer of U.S. jet engine technology than ever before.
India and the United States launch the India-U.S. Defense Acceleration Ecosystem (INDUS-X) to expand the strategic technology partnership and foster defense-industrial cooperation. This delivers on the commitment to set up a “defense innovation bridge” under the iCET.
INDUS-X seeks to foster cooperation between the Indian and American defense innovation ecosystems. These include the two countries’ governments, defense firms, academic and research institutions, technology incubators, investors, industry associations, and other startup enablers.
At the inaugural INDUS-X Summit, the two countries announced a Senior Advisor Group to guide the initiative and expressed their intent to set up mentor-protégé partnerships and an accelerator program for defense startups. They will further explore joint defense challenges and a joint innovation fund.
India and the United States hold the inaugural meeting of the India-US Strategic Trade Dialogue (IUSSTD). The dialogue is aimed at driving strategic technology and trade collaborations envisioned under the iCET.
The two sides discussed how they can facilitate the development and trade of technologies in key areas such as artificial intelligence, quantum computing, telecommunications, space, semiconductors, defense, and biotechnology. They also reviewed bilateral export control regulations and agreed to set up a regular monitoring group to review progress in high-tech trade and technological cooperation.
U.S. Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks hosts Indian Defence Secretary Giridhar Aramane at the Pentagon to discuss priorities for strengthening the India-U.S. bilateral defense partnership, including increasing defense-industrial cooperation.
The two officials discussed proposals for India and the U.S. to co-produce jet engines, long-range artillery, and infantry vehicles under the iCET.
At the 5th India-U.S. Commercial Dialogue, Indian Minister of Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal and U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo announce the launch of a new Working Group on Talent, Innovation, and Inclusive Growth under the Commercial Dialogue.
The working group will support iCET by identifying regulatory hurdles hampering cooperation and by advancing connectivity between the innovation ecosystems of the two countries.
In a phone call, Prime Minister Modi and President Biden welcome the first meeting of the iCET and express their desire to bolster bilateral cooperation in the areas of space, semiconductors, and defense.
Indian National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and his American counterpart Jake Sullivan formally hold the inaugural meeting of the iCET in Washington DC.
The meeting is attended by several high-ranking officials from both governments. The two sides deliberate on opportunities to build technology value chains and support co-development and co-production. They also discuss how the innovation ecosystems in the two countries can be better connected. Here they recognized the value of establishing “innovation bridges” in important sectors. The two sides further emphasize their intention to resolve regulatory restrictions, export controls, and mobility barriers through a standing mechanism under the iCET. The first meeting of the iCET leads to the two countries launching new bilateral initiatives to further cooperation in the fields of quantum technologies, space, defense, semiconductors, telecommunications, and science and technology research.
Ahead of the formal launch of the iCET, the U.S.-India Business Council (USIBC) host a roundtable to discuss how the two countries could facilitate a deeper alignment on technology issues.
U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo, U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan, and Indian National Security Advisor Ajit Doval along with industry executives, university presidents, thought leaders, and venture capitalists explore opportunities to foster the development of critical and emerging technologies, especially by increasing government and academic research exchanges and connecting them to the private sector.
Prime Minister Modi and President Biden announce the India-U.S. Initiative on Critical and Emerging Technologies (iCET) on the sidelines of the Quad Summit in Tokyo.
The initiative is to be led by the National Security Council Secretariat in India and the U.S. National Security Council. It is aimed at forging closer ties between the government, academia, and industry of the two countries in areas such as artificial intelligence, quantum computing, telecommunications, space, semiconductors, and biotechnology.
