Ahead of PM Modi's US visit, NSAs discuss ties in critical tech

Tribune News Service

Sandeep Dikshit

New Delhi, June 13

National Security Adviser Ajit Doval on Tuesday met his US counterpart Jake Sullivan for restricted discussions on regional and global issues of mutual interest in order to prepare for tangible deliverables for PM Narendra Modi’s upcoming US visit.

Sullivan, accompanied by US Indo-Pacific Coordinator at the National Security Council Kurt Campbell, is said to be well-versed with the Indian foreign policy and strategic landscape.

The NSAs are leading a multi-departmental effort from both sides to firm up agreements and remove obstacles in several identified areas of collaboration, prime among which are artificial intelligence, quantum computing, semiconductors, telecommunications, defence and space. The dialogue on these aspects follow the launch of the India-US Initiative on Critical and Emerging Technologies (iCET) by PM Modi and US President Joe Biden on the sidelines of the Quad Summit in Tokyo on May 24 last year. The NSAs held an all stakeholders’ meeting in Washington on January 30 this year where they tried to narrow the gaps in these areas.

So far, the two NSAs have enabled broad agreements on a multi-billion project to manufacture advanced jet fighter engines by GE in India and on a Rs 20,000 crore semiconductor chip-making facility by US-based Micron Technology. Talks are also at an advanced stage on the sharing of quantum computing technology.

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