NSA Sullivan arrives today, seeks to strengthen AI, space, tech ties

US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan will visit India on January 5 and 6 to meet his counterpart, Ajit Doval, and other senior government officials for a final round of discussions on various bilateral, regional and global issues. The visit also aims to finalise ongoing initiatives.

During his trip, Sullivan will deliver a major foreign policy speech at IIT Delhi, where he is expected to emphasise India’s pivotal role in US priorities, not only in the Indo-Pacific, but also on a global scale.

Sullivan is scheduled to meet External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and other Indian leaders. The US delegation, led by Sullivan, will include officials from multiple government departments.

Sullivan’s term as NSA concludes on January 20, coinciding with the inauguration of the Donald Trump-led administration. He will be succeeded by Congressman Michael Waltz, whom Trump has announced as the next National Security Adviser.

The discussions between Sullivan and Doval will focus on various aspects of the India-US partnership, with particular emphasis on strategic technology cooperation across sectors such as defence, space and artificial intelligence.

Both leaders will also address the civil nuclear partnership, with the US proposing modular reactor technology. The White House has confirmed that the talks will span multiple areas, including space, defence and strategic technology.

Doval and Sullivan co-chair the India-US Initiative on Critical and Emerging Technologies (iCET), a landmark collaboration launched in May 2022 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Joe Biden. The initiative seeks to strengthen strategic technology partnerships and defence industrial cooperation between the two nations.

Key focus areas include artificial intelligence (AI), semiconductors, enhancing semiconductor supply chains and production capabilities and joint efforts in biotechnology research and innovation.