The US and India concluded their US-India initiative on Critical and Emerging Technology (iCET) meeting and decided to launch a new ‘Innovation Bridge,’ which will connect both countries’ defence startups, according to a statement released by the White House.
The US-India initiative on Critical and Emerging Technology (iCET) meeting was inaugurated by the National Security Advisor Mr. Ajit Doval and his US counterpart Mr. Jake Sullivan.
iCET was announced in May 2022 by the US President Mr. Joe Biden and the Prime Minister of India Mr. Narendra Modi to elevate and expand the strategic technology partnership and defence industrial cooperation between the governments, businesses, and academic institutions of the two countries, as per the statement.
The statement said that US and India are committed to fostering an open, accessible, and secure technology ecosystem, based on mutual trust and confidence, which will reinforce democratic values and democratic institutions.
According to the statement, in the meeting, the two sides discussed opportunities for greater cooperation in critical and emerging technologies, co-development and coproduction, and ways to deepen connectivity across our innovation ecosystems. They noted the value of establishing ‘innovation bridges’ in key sectors, including through expos, hackathons, and pitch sessions.
They also identified the fields of biotechnology, advanced materials, and rare earth processing technology as areas for future cooperation. Under iCET, both countries underlined their commitment to working to resolve issues related to regulatory barriers, businesses, and talent mobility.
India and the US also signed a new Implementation Arrangement for a Research Agency Partnership between the National Science Foundation and Indian science agencies to expand international collaboration in a range of areas including artificial intelligence, quantum technologies, and advanced wireless in order to build a robust innovation ecosystem between the two countries.
