The story so far: Earlier this week, India and the United States unveiled a roadmap for enhanced collaboration in high-technology areas, with a focus on addressing regulatory barriers and aligning export controls for smoother trade and “deeper cooperation” in critical areas. This was part of the Initiative on Critical and Emerging Technology (iCET) announced by President Joe Biden and Prime Minister Narendra Modi last year. National Security Adviser (NSA) Ajit Doval and his American counterpart Jake Sullivan, who visited India this week to prepare the ground for the Prime Minister’s state visit to the U.S. from June 21, reviewed the progress of the initiative at the second track 1.5 dialogue on iCET on Tuesday.
What is iCET?
The Initiative on Critical and Emerging Technologies is a framework agreed upon by India and the U.S. for cooperation on critical and emerging technologies in areas including artificial intelligence, quantum computing, semiconductors and wireless telecommunication. It was launched in January this year to strengthen their strategic partnership and drive technology and defence cooperation. Mr. Modi and Mr. Biden first announced the framework on the sidelines of the Quad meeting in Tokyo in May 2022. “The United States and India affirm that the ways in which technology is designed, developed, governed, and used should be shaped by our shared democratic values and respect for universal human rights. We are committed to fostering an open, accessible, and secure technology ecosystem, based on mutual trust and confidence, that will reinforce our democratic values and democratic institutions,” the White House said.
