Visit of India’s National Security Advisor Ajit Doval to the US
The United States National Security Advisor, Jake Sullivan, had invited his Indian counterpart, Ajit Doval, to the White House to "start the next milestone" in the US-India strategic technology and defence collaboration. Doval was in Washington on an official visit from January 30 to February 1, 2023. He was joined by senior government officials and Indian industry executives. According to a news statement from the Ministry of External Affairs, both countries pledged to maintain continuous attention to achieve outcome-oriented goals within certain timetables during Doval's visit. According to this report, the NSA communicated with US officials and stakeholders from the government, Congress, business, academic, and research sectors on various bilateral, regional, and global matters of mutual concern.
On January 31, Doval and Sullivan co-chaired the White House's initial meeting of the initiative on Critical and Emerging Technologies (iCET). Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Joe Biden announced the effort on Critical and Emerging Technologies at their visit to Tokyo in May 2022. At the iCET launch, Doval was joined by India's Ambassador to the United States, Taranjit Singh Sandhu, Principal Scientific Advisor, Secretary, Department of Telecommunications, Chairman of ISRO, Scientific Advisor to the Defence Minister, Director General, DRDO, and other senior officials from the National Security Council Secretariat and the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology. NASA Administrator, Director, National Science Foundation (NSF), Deputy National Security Advisor, and others from the US also attended this meeting. iCET aspires to establish the two nations as trustworthy technology partners by establishing technological value chains and facilitating item co-development and co-production and also seeks to resolve regulator concerns.
Importance of this Visit
The consequence of Ajit Doval's three-day visit was a strong enunciation of the United States' commitment to sharing essential technology with India. The two nations have agreed to work on technology that will define the future in a globalised 21st century, with precise timelines. Simply put, the assurances are among the most significant game changers in India-US relations, following the 2005 civilian nuclear deal, India's 2008 exemption from the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG), and then-US President Barack Obama's 2010 support for India's entry into the NSG, the Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR), the Wassenaar Arrangement, the Australia Group, and permanent candidature to the UN Security Council. The US side has pledged help to lower export obstacles to India in a few key areas, including legislative reforms. According to the press release, the launch focused on establishing links between start-up ecosystems and developing innovation bridges in important areas between the two nations through expos, hackathons, and pitching sessions.
Given the relevance of quantum technologies, the two sides developed a quantum coordination mechanism with participation from the private sector and certain business corporations and academics. According to a news statement from the Ministry of External Affairs, in the sphere of semiconductors, the US fostered collaborative ventures and partnerships for mature technological nodes and sophisticated packaging and created an Indian fabrication ecosystem. There was also agreement on relying on worldwide efforts to build common standards and benchmarks for trustworthy AI by cooperating on the development of consensual, multi-stakeholder standards that are compatible with democratic ideals.
According to the press release, it was agreed to form a task force comprised of India's Semiconductor Mission, India Electronics Semiconductor Association (IESA), and the US Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA) to develop a "readiness assessment" in order to identify short-term opportunities that would eventually facilitate any longer-term development of semiconductor ecosystems.
India and the United States agreed to focus on the cooperative production of essential goods of mutual interest in the defence manufacturing industry. The US has agreed to a prompt examination of M/s General Electric's licence application to manufacture jet engines in India for indigenously made Light Combat Aircraft. A new Innovation Bridge will be built to connect both sides' defence start-ups.
In the sphere of space, there was recognition of the prospects provided by the opening up of India's space industry, as well as the contribution of Indian space tech businesses to the United States. ISRO and NASA have committed to collaborate on human space travel prospects, NASA's Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) programme, and STEM talent exchanges. Using credible sources, India and the United States decided to establish a public-private discussion on 5G/6G and ORAN. During the iCET launch, the Ambassador and NSF Director signed a new Implementation Arrangement that would be carried out in between the Department of Science and Technology of India and the National Science Foundation of the United States.
An ambitious higher education project in which the administration welcomes a combined task group of the Association of American Universities and prominent Indian educational institutions such as the Indian Institute of Technology to submit suggestions for research and university cooperation. A public-private discussion on telecoms and regulations has begun. They also expanded collaboration on 5G and 6G research and development to allow Open RAN implementation in India.
Strategic Cooperation Between India and the US
The strategic relationship between the United States and India has been built on some common ideals, such as a dedication to democracy and the rule-based international order. The United States and India have a common interest in supporting global security, stability, and economic success through trade, investment, and connectivity. India-US strategic collaboration on technology has grown recently, with the two countries signing many new agreements in 2021 alone.
A breakthrough in the US-India digital relationship might serve as a model for the US to collaborate with other Asian countries that share India's worries about US technology while also seeking foreign investment. Furthermore, it would allow the US to engage India in an area where it excels: it is home to over 100 start-ups worth more than $1 billion and aims to compete with China. Bringing India closer to the United States on digital policy would be a victory for Washington, even though it would need difficult sacrifices.
In trade discussions, India has long been seen as a challenging partner for the United States. India has withdrawn from the trade element of the Biden administration's ongoing negotiations in Asia, known as the Indo-Pacific Economic Forum. In contrast, it has continued to engage in areas such as sustainable energy, supply chains, and labour standards. Analysts said the Indian government was significantly more driven on national security issues, particularly the chance of collaborating with the US to foster cutting-edge technology businesses.
Need for India-US Technology Cooperation
To overcome policy disagreements and develop institutional mechanisms to accelerate progress, the United States and India have since long needed to pursue the so-called digital handshake. Both nations may learn from the European Union, which has collaborated with the United States and India to establish Trade and Technology Councils (TTCs) that provide a forum for high-level discussions on digital concerns.
Both countries should convene a new digital economy ministerial that brings together cabinet-level officials from the Office of the United States Trade Representative, the United States Department of State, and the United States Department of Commerce, as well as representatives from India's IT, External Affairs, and Commerce ministries. The ministerial might convene annually and form working groups on the issues most important to both nations, such as data privacy and governance policy, civil liberties, technology and social good, e-commerce, digital and financial inclusion, and digital supply chain and manufacturing.
Both the US and India know that there is much to be gained by seeking common ground. If left unresolved, fundamental differences over topics such as digital privacy might lead to legal or technological cracks that restrict data flows and erode collaboration. This is not to say that the US should seek collaboration at any cost; the Modi government's efforts to get access to people's data are concerning. However, data exchange in other sectors, such as health care or cybersecurity, given the correct legislative frameworks, might benefit individuals while maintaining privacy in both nations.
When asked if the technology cooperation is aimed against China's assertion around its territory, the statements from the governments mentioned that it is more about the partnership and common goals between the countries than focusing on one country. The official statements need not be false, but they do not give the full picture. Defence cooperation through cooperative development and production, with an emphasis on projects involving jet engines, munition-related technology, and other systems, will benefit India and the United States in the Chinese setting. India has been researched as one of the most vulnerable countries to cyber attacks, and strengthening its cyber framework, is one of India's priorities. The US focuses more on establishing a strong partnership with India to expand its technological presence in South Asia.
Conclusion
In the coming decade, the dynamics of the India- US partnership will expand and maybe more possibilities for the two countries to coordinate their goals and capabilities. India and the United States have started paying special attention to the following domains: emerging technologies and national security; defence cooperation; aligning bilateral and international agendas; counterterrorism; and trade. Education and outer space are two more potential fields. A concentrated effort in these areas is projected to affect the trajectory of India-US ties during the coming decade. At the same time, extraordinary collaboration would be required not only bilaterally but also with regional and global players. It is planned that sub-domains of collaboration would be established for both nations under the umbrella of these five particular areas.
The bilateral relationship would be strengthened even further to face future difficulties, remaining a partnership for the global good. India's G-20 presidency, as well as the similarities in India's aims as President, will play a crucial role in this. The Russia-Ukraine crisis will continue to dominate global politics in 2023 as both Washington and New Delhi, together with their G20 partners, seek to ensure and avoid soaring oil costs and food grain shortages. There is also a possibility for collaboration in space since India and the US both have scientific prowess. With more privatisation and a rising list of unicorns in India, space tech firms will be a new engine of economic growth and scientific synergy.
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Pic Courtesy-Dimitry Anikin at unsplash.com
(The views expressed are those of the author and do not represent views of CESCUBE.)
