India – U.S Initiative of Critical and Emerging Technology

Why is in news? India and the United States today jointly launched a call for proposals on Critical and Emerging Technology: Quantum Technologies and Artificial Intelligence for Transforming Lives

The iCET was initially announced in May 2022 by both countries and it was launched in January 2023. This initiative elevates the bilateral strategic relationship between India and the US to new heights. Both countries will share their core technologies as per this agreement.

The goal is to elevate and expand Indo-U.S. strategic technology partnership and defense industrial cooperation between the governments, businesses, and academic institutions of the two countries.

The initiative will be spearheaded by the National Security Council Secretariat in India and the US National Security Council.

Some of the key focus areas are:

scientific research and development;

quantum and artificial intelligence,

defense innovation,

Cooperation in human spaceflight

advanced telecom which would include things like 6G and semiconductors.

Semiconductor ecosystem development

Significance:

iCET would forge closer linkages between government, academia and industry of the two countries.

The objective is to provide cutting edge technologies to the rest of the world which are affordable.

The launch of the ambitious iCET dialogue is seen as “an alignment of strategic, commercial and scientific approaches” in the field of technology.

This is eventually likely to be mirrored in the progress made in Quad – the informal grouping of four countries, Australia, Japan, India and the United States.