- Saturday, March 01, 2025
Officials of India and the US have intensified talks under the Initiative of Critical and Emerging Technologies (iCET) launched earlier in 2023.
By: Shubham Ghosh
Officials of India and the US have intensified talks on co-producing jet engines, long-range artillery and infantry vehicles under the Initiative on Critical and Emerging Technologies (iCET) ahead of prime minister Narendra Modi’s state visit to Washington next month.
The national security advisors of India and the US — Ajit Doval and Jake Sullivan, respectively — launched iCET earlier this year.
It was done at the direction of US president Joe Biden and Modi who after their meeting in Tokyo, Japan, in May last year had announced to elevate and expand the strategic technology partnership and defence industrial cooperation between the governments, businesses and academic institutions of the two countries.
At a meeting with Indian defence secretary Giridhar Aramane at the Pentagon, US deputy defense secretary Kathleen Hicks termed the proposals to co-produce jet engines, long-range artillery and infantry vehicles under iCET “unprecedented opportunities” to strengthen ties between the defence sectors of the two nations.
The two officials discussed priorities for strengthening the US-India defence partnership, including increasing defence industrial cooperation and operational collaboration, Pentagon spokesperson Eric Pahon said.
Hicks underscored the importance of the US-India relationship as critical for promoting peace and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific and beyond. She also reiterated the importance of deepening military-to-military relations between the two nations as the technology partnership grows, Pahon added.
Reiterating the US’s support for India’s defence modernisation objectives, including increasing investments in Indian domestic manufacturing, Hicks and Aramane welcomed the upcoming launch of INDUS-X ahead of Modi’s visit to the US on June 22.
They also highlighted its value as an opportunity to promote partnerships between the two countries’ defence innovation ecosystems.
A day earlier, the two officials co-chaired the 17th US-India Defense Policy Group meeting.
The dialogue advanced an ambitious agenda — including industrial cooperation, information-sharing, maritime security, and technological collaboration — that reflects the robust and comprehensive defence ties between the US and India, said US department of defense spokesperson Lt Col David Herndon.
“The officials exchanged views about shared priorities in the Indian Ocean Region and aligning the US-India partnership with other like-minded partnerships to sustain a free and open Indo-Pacific.
“The leaders reinforced their commitment to strengthening cooperation and interoperability between the US and Indian militaries to work together in all domains and across all services,” the spokesperson added.
(With PTI inputs)
