The US-India initiative on critical and emerging technologies (iCET) was unveiled in an inaugural ceremony in Washington, DC, on Monday, led by national security adviser (NSA) Ajit Doval and his counterpart Jake Sullivan. The initiative, an ambitious roadmap to position each other as “trusted technology partners,” will deepen the defense relationship with a focus on co-production and co-development and institutionalize a standing mechanism to overcome regulatory barriers and export controls, particularly on the American side.
NSA Ajit Doval and his American counterpart Jake Sullivan held the first high-level meeting of the initiative for critical and imaging technology (iCET) at the Indian Embassy in Washington, US. There were discussions on the subject of increasing bilateral relations and cooperation in the field of technology. At the conference, he highlighted India’s remarkable capacity for technology development and absorption, and the use of technology not only as an enabler of economic growth but as an instrument of social inclusion. “We need to translate objectives and ideas into actions and concrete deliverables through targeted processes in a time-bound manner,” NSA Doval stated.
In addition to him, key officials from India and the United States attended the Indian Embassy’s special meeting. US Secretary of Commerce Gina Raymondo and India’s Ambassador to the US, Taranjit Singh Sandhu, also attended.
Ajit Doval also met with US General Mark Milley in America, where they addressed a variety of matters, including India-US ties. NSA Ajit Doval also attended the US-India Business Council (USIBC) round table conference of the Chamber of Commerce during this period, organized by US Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo and US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan.
Giving information about this, the Indian Embassy informed us that Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Mark Milley met NSA Ajit Doval today. A fruitful discussion on various aspects of Indo-US bilateral cooperation took place. This session, according to experts, will be crucial. Its unique impact will be felt on a global scale in the future. Many believe that this meeting will be the second major milestone following the Indo-US nuclear deal.
Taranjit Singh Sandhu, India’s ambassador to the United States, voiced great expectations for this conference. “The meeting of the Initiative for Critical and Emerging Technologies (iCET) will be an important milestone for both countries,” he said.
The two countries also underlined their commitment to work toward resolving issues related to regulatory barriers, business, and talent mobility through a standing mechanism under iCET.
In order to increase international cooperation in a number of fields, such as artificial intelligence, quantum technologies, and advanced wireless, the countries signed a new implementation arrangement for a research agency partnership between the National Science Foundation and Indian science agencies. This agreement aims to create a strong innovation ecosystem between the nations.
“The United States and India reaffirm that our shared democratic values and universal human rights will be respected in the way technology is designed, developed, governed, and used,” the White House said in a fact sheet after the conclusion of the first iCET meeting between Doval and Sullivan on Tuesday. ” are committed to fostering an open, accessible, and secure technology ecosystem based on mutual trust and confidence, which will strengthen our democratic values and democratic institutions,” it added.
What is iCET?
Announced in a joint statement for the first time after the bilateral talks between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Joe Biden in Tokyo in May 2022, the iCET, which is led by the national security councils of both nations, aims to boost US-India cooperation on technologies that would promote global growth, increase both nations’ economic competitiveness, and safeguard their shared national security interests.
The US delegation for the launch of iCET included the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the National Science Foundation Director, the National Space Council Executive Secretary, and senior officials from the Department of State, Department of Commerce, the Department of Defense, and the National Security Council.
On the Indian side, there are the Ambassador of India to the US, the Principal Scientific Advisor to the Government of India, the Chairman of the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO), the Secretary in the Department of Telecommunications, the Scientific Advisor to the Defense Minister, and the Director General of the Defense Research and Development Organization (DRDO). Senior officials from the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology and the National Security Council Secretariat also attended the meeting.
