The US Chamber of Commerce's US-India Business Council (USIBC) hosted US Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo, US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan, and Indian National Security Advisor Ajit Doval in advance of the inaugural launch of the US-India Initiative on Critical and Emerging Technologies (iCET).
Ambassador Atul Keshap, President of the US-India Business Council and the former Chargéd'affaires to India, welcomed the Indian and American delegations, including Indian Ambassador Taranjit Singh Sandhu, on behalf of the US Chamber.
What is iCET
Announced during US President Joe Biden and Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s bilateral talks in Tokyo last May, the iCET is spearheaded by the National Security Councils of both countries and focuses on strengthening the US-India partnership on the technologies that will drive global growth, bolster both countries’ economic competitiveness, and protect shared national security interests.
In support of the iCET, the US Chamber of Commerce held a roundtable with industry executives across the spectrum of advanced technologies, including semiconductor design and manufacturing, commercial electronics, advanced telecommunications, commercial space, aerospace and defense, and information technology services. Leadership from academia and venture capital firms also participated. In his welcome remarks, Ambassador Keshap expressed that “the US and India are not only Quad partners, but members of a high-trust ecosystem underpinned by converging interests and shared values. The iCET is a tremendous forum for our two democracies to coordinate on sustaining a free, open, and secure global economy that can ensure the future happiness of humanity."
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Ambassador Keshap added “both governments convening the iCET with such a strong industry presence at the US Chamber of Commerce demonstrates their recognition that business plays an essential role in bolstering the security and prosperity of both nations."
US Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo attended the roundtable to highlight the central role the US and India would play in shaping the development of advanced technologies.
What was discussed in roundtable
Roundtable participants discussed opportunities to promote development of critical and emerging technologies such as quantum computing and artificial intelligence, with a special focus on how to increase academic and government research exchanges and strengthen their linkages with the private sector. A key theme throughout the roundtable was how both governments could facilitate deeper alignment on technology issues, including encouraging semiconductor supply chain resilience, deepening the two countries' research and development collaboration, strengthening workforce and education connectivity, and promoting co-investment and co-development.
Addressing industry executives, NSA Sullivan said that "iCET is about much more than technology cooperation, it's a platform to accelerate our strategic convergence and policy alignment." Highlighting the work ahead for both governments, Sullivan added that the United States and Indian governments "want to establish a list of 'firsts',” "firsts in removing barriers—on both sides—to enable greater ambition by all of you."
NSA Sullivan highlighted how iCET will accelerate the United States’ strategic technology partnership with India and advance the two countries’ shared democratic values. He also recognized the pivotal role that businesses, educators, and investors play, urged attendees to be ambitious in deepening business and academic ties, and committed to working with NSA Doval to remove barriers on both sides.
NSA Ajit Doval and Ambassador Sandhu highlighted India’s remarkable capacity for technology development and absorption, and emphasized India’s use of technology not only as an enabler of economic growth but as an instrument of social inclusion.
Both officials commended the launch of the iCET, given the natural complementary strengths of the Indian and American economies and the growing strategic convergence between both nations. Both officials also emphasized India’s growing role a trusted supply chain partner and contributor in the global technology value chain, and underlined the importance of easing export control measures to facilitate technology access, co-production, and co-development between India and the U.S.
In one of the sessions, the roundtable discussed microchips as a critical technology and the important role the US-India relationship could play in building a reliable semiconductor supply chain.
